The Lightning Alchemist Chronicles: How It Began
by BlackNinjagirl
Summary: *My version of FMA, with a few extra chars* Ed meets a light brown-haired girl known as the Lightning Alchemist, who's been an alchemist for a year already. They travel together...and end up falling for each other. Ed/OC R&R please! Chap. 6 up finally!
1. The First Meeting

**The Lightning Alchemist Chronicles-Finding the Stone**

By BlackNinjagirl

* * *

_Chapter One: First Meeting_

"Rai!" Mustang called out to the 12-year-old girl in front of him, who had spaced out for some reason. "Get it together, we can't have you spacing out like that."

The girl, who was named Rai, was about 5'3" and had hazel eyes and light brown hair with the bangs separated on the left and going over to the right with a little bit hanging on the other side and the back of her hair pulled back into a ponytail at the base of the neck and was wearing a red jacket with a built-in belt over a black tank top that had a bit of automail peeking out on her collarbone, accompanied by black pants that had a white racing stripe down the outsides with a small zigzag at the bottom of the pants like a lightning bolt and black boots. The pants had a belt on it that had a belt buckle with a lightning bolt that popped out from the buckle and a chain that had the ring around a belt loop on her pants that had a chain trailing to the pocket on the right side—the chain on which hung the watch of a State Alchemist.

Rai was currently standing in Lieutenant Colonel Roy Mustang's office across from Mustang, who was sitting at his desk, after he had sent for her with word of a mission for her.

"Sorry Lieutenant Colonel," Rai said apologetically. "It's just, I'm still getting used to everything."

Mustang chuckled. "You'll get used to everything soon enough. Now, I have a job for you. There's a train leaving tomorrow at four o'clock, and I want you to be on it."

Rai blinked. "That's it? You just want me to get on a train?"

Mustang smiled lightly. "No, that's not all." He leaned on the desk to get closer to the shorter alchemist. "Keep a sharp eye out while you're on that train. I have a suspicion something might happen while you're on it, and I want a full report when you get back. I have faith in you, Lightning Alchemist," he added, referring to the younger alchemist's call name.

Rai blinked again. "Yes, sir," she replied before saluting, though she still looked a bit puzzled as she about-faced and walked out.

Mustang smirked once she'd left and turned to his subordinate, Second Lieutenant Hawkeye, who had been standing a few feet away from Mustang and Rai the entire time the two had been speaking. "Likely she'll end up meeting Edward and Alphonse on that train."

Hawkeye chuckled. "Probably. Don't tell me you're trying to play matchmaker."

Mustang looked innocent. "Who, me? I would never!"

Hawkeye smiled. "Though, having friends her own age might help her out some…she _did_ lose her brother a few years ago…"

Mustang nodded. "I know, Lieutenant, I know…"

* * *

The next day, Rai was on that train, sitting in a seat next to a window and staring at it, while a few seats away a kid about her age wearing a red jacket sat with a large suit of sighed. "Train rides are so boring…" she muttered. "There's nothing to do and nobody to talk to." She crossed her arms. "Now if Hughes were here, it might be more entertaining…then again, he talks about his wife too much."

It wasn't long before she caught movement and saw a guy whom she recognized as Warrant Officer Falman walk up to the kid in the red jacket and the suit of armor and heard him say, "There _is_ a kid with him, and he _is_ small."

The kid looked mad and jumped up, yelling, "WHO'RE YOU CALLING A RUNT SO TINY HE CAN ONLY BE SEEN WITH A MAGNIFYING GLASS?"

She giggled despite herself as Falman waved his hands and said, "Relax, kid. The Colonel said it, I was just repeating-"

It was then two guys got up from their seats, pulling out guns and pointing them at Falman, who had pulled out his own gun, and one of them knocked out Falman before he said, "No heroes today. Everyone shut up and get your hands over your heads-or say hello to a bullet."

_Mustang's suspicions were right,_ Rai thought to herself before getting up and putting her gloved hands up as a clear sign of surrender as she noted everyone else, including the suit of armor and the kid, get up and do the same. _Maybe if I can take them off-guard…_

After a bit, the guys walked over to the kid and the suit of armor, and one said, "Helmet. Take it off."

The kid, thinking fast, pointed behind them and yelled, "Look!"

The guys, being the usual idiots Rai had often dealt with before, naturally turned and looked, only to find nothing there, and when they turned back around to face the unusual duo, one of them was caught by a knee in the face by the kid, knocking him other guy whirled to face the kid, and, seeing her chance, Rai snapped the fingers of her right hand and sent a lightning bolt in the guy's direction, but too late-the armor had already knocked him out, and the bolt ended up bouncing off of the armor and hitting the kid, Rai covering her mouth in shock. "Oops…"

The kid turned to glare at her. "What the hell was that for?"

"It was an accident," she said apologetically. "I was aiming for the other guy, but your armored friend knocked him out before it got to him…I really am sorry about that."

The kid huffed before he saw her silver watch chain. "Wait…you're a State Alchemist?"

She grinned. "Tried and true."

"You dumb kids, what're we supposed to do now?" some random guy asked them. "Don't you think they'll notice when two of their men have gone missing? What's going to happen to us then? They'll want retribution. We'd have been safe if we'd just cooperated until we got to Central."

"That's right," another agreed.

"What were you thinking?" another asked.

Rai snorted. "If you'd have waited, you might just have ended up as corpses at the end of it," she retorted. "Terrorists don't give a damn about hostages. Take it from experience."

The armor looked at the kid. "What do we do next?"

The kid scratched his head. "I didn't plan that far…"

One of the guys got up and pointed his gun at a nearby little girl, Rai looking alarmed as he did before she readied her right hand to snap again and zap the guy, this time hitting him for sure, but the armor kicked him in the back, making the bullet miss, and the kid took the guy's gun before looking over at the girl.

"Are you guys okay?" the kid asked the girl, and she nodded, then the kid looked at all of the other passengers and then at Rai before looking back at the girl. "Sorry about that. Your big brothers will take care of this somehow, okay?"

"And big sister," Rai interjected, glaring at the kid.

"Yeah…and big sister," the kid added with a nod before turning to the aisle. "We'd better get started, Al."

"Right," the armor, apparently called Al, agreed.

"Oi, I'm helping too," Rai interjected irritably.

"Wait! Over here!" the three heard someone call out, and turned to see Falman moving out from one of the seats, tied up. Rai was the first to run over, the kid and Al following close behind her, and the kid set to work untying Falman.

"This is embarrassing. So what are you guys? Freelancers?" Falman asked the kid and Al, not noticing Rai behind him.

"Just two good old-fashioned alchemists," the kid replied.

"Oh, sure, ignore me, why don't you, Warrant Officer Falman," Rai huffed teasingly. "And as for _you_, quit acting like I'm not here! That's a little annoying, you know."

Falman blinked and spun around to see Rai, looking startled. "Rai! What're you doing here?"

Rai shrugged. "Mustang," she said simply, as if that explained everything, which, judging by Falman's understanding expression, did.

"Ah, I see," Falman said with a nod.

The kid blinked. "You don't look like someone from the military," he commented as he finished untying Falman.

"Well, there's a reason for that—we have a special passenger on board," Falman explained. "The front car kind."

Rai looked about to snap her fingers in victory but caught herself just in time—if she did that she'd end up zapping someone else. "That explains why Mustang sent me on here."

The kid looked thoughtful. "And they decided to bring us down with them…" He turned to the armor. "Al, I'm going up top to throw a surprise party—you go with him from below."

Rai stepped forward. "I'm coming with you up top," she told the kid, adding with a grin, "I'd hate to miss a good party."

Al nodded. "Ah…yeah, okay."

The kid looked at her for a minute, then nodded. "Alright, let's get moving."

The two of them got on top of the train while Al and Falman went through it, taking out the cronies.

"Why'd you zap me earlier?" the kid asked Rai once they were on top of the train.

Rai snorted. "I told you I didn't mean to, now drop it already."

He glared at her, but continued going. "Sure you didn't."

Rai huffed. "Stubborn moron," she muttered, but followed him anyway.

A tree came out of nowhere and knocked the kid off, and Rai, alarmed, quickly caught him, thankfully ducking the branch in the process, and she helped him back up on top of the train.

"You alright?" she asked him.

"Yeah, thanks, that was a close one."

"Watch for branches next time, alright?" she told him.

He nodded and looked forward, his eyes widening. "Watch out!"

She blinked. "What?" she asked him before turning to look, but too late-they were both knocked off.

Luckily for them, they were caught by a strong hand, and Rai opened an eye to see a familiar face, making her grin. "Hughes!"

The man, apparently called Hughes, smiled at her. "Well, if it isn't Rai. Good to see you again." He looked at the kid he'd also caught. "And you must be Ed. Mustang told me about you and your brother." He looked them both over. "You know, there's a real art to train-walking, but it seems you two have yet to learn it."

Rai blinked. _So his name is Ed…and the armor is his _brother_? Okay, Mustang has a lot of explaining to do when I get back._ She scowled at the train-walking remark. "And _you_ hang around Mustang too much."

Hughes laughed. "I suppose that's true." He looked up at the top of the train as Rai grabbed onto the ladder and started climbing up. "Well, guess we'd better work together, guys."

Rai got to the top of the train and waited for Ed to get up there with her, as well as Hughes, and then the three of them made their way to the engine.

They got to the front of the train and Ed stuck his head down just as Rai did on the other side and stuck his tongue out at the guys, Rai making a face of her own at Ed across the guys, and then both retreated, going into laughing fits once on top.

One of the guys blinked. "What was that?"

The other guy shrugged. "Probably a stray branch or something."

The two of them continued doing this a few more times, until finally, the both of them did it on the same side, making faces at the guys yet again, before both went to the top again, high-fiving and going into laughing fits once back on top.

The first guy poked his companion. "That was something, I know it!"

The second guy, exasperated now, looked in that direction, while Hughes leapt in the other window, sticking one of the daggers he had on him at all times in the first guy's hand, making him yell, and the other guy to spin around and look at him.

"Who the hell are you?.!" the first guy managed to say before Ed swung in and caught him in the jaw with a boot, Rai leaping in after him.

The conductors took their chance and punched the two guys while they were on the floor, Rai grinning and dusting her gloves off as a sign of victory, the sound resulting the unusual sound of metal against flesh. "That was easy."

Ed blinked at her, having heard the sound, and opened his mouth to say something but seemed to decide against it and hopped out the window, climbing the ladder outside of it.

Rai frowned. _Was he going to ask about my automail?_ she wondered, then shrugged and followed Ed out the window, about to go to the ladder when she heard gunshots and he went back down the ladder to evade them.

She saw him draw a small transmutation circle with some chalk and then slap it so that a cannon appeared on top of the train, and he went up behind it, a cannonball flying out of it a second later, to which there was a yelp and a thudding noise, like it'd hit someone.

Rai looked slightly impressed. _Nice shot,_ she mused to herself before climbing up after him, climbing over to the hole that was above the head car and looking in to see what was going on.

"We've lost all contact with the other cars," she heard one of the guys say, and smirked. _Sounds like Al and Falman made quick work of them._

"Damn it!" the guy in the middle, who had one arm under his coat, growled out.

"What's going on?" another guy asked, blinking and looking at the guy in the middle, who was apparently the leader.

"Mustang's reneging on our deal, that's what," the leader growled.

"You should have known your ragtag group of extremists wouldn't have lasted for long, Bald," Rai heard a guy from the stall nearby say.

The leader, apparently named Bald, huffed and a gunshot was heard, the guy yelling in pain and Rai heard shrieks from inside the stall as well, indicating he wasn't alone. "You just shut up!" He turned to the other guys. "I want a fresh sweep of the train, now!"

Rai grinned. _Wow, he's a bigger idiot than the rest of them. This might actually be fun._ She giggled at the name. _Bald? That's a funny name for a guy who actually has hair._

"Hey!" Rai heard a conductor yell, and looked over to see one of them had popped out the window. "Don't mess with the tinder! It's the life of this train!"

She saw Ed nod at them. "Right, got it!" she heard him yell back, and she watched him get a thoughtful expression, then an evil look.

She looked back in the car and saw what appeared to be a microphone with Ed's hairdo pop out of the door.

"Hey, you gun-toting extremists! Can you hear me all right, or did you blow your ears out playing target practice?" she heard his voice say, and giggled almost soundlessly at the remark.

"What the hell?" one of the guys said, blinking.

"Let these hostages go! You have no right to drag innocent people into your personal politics!" Ed's voice continued.

"You're one of Mustang's secret agents, aren't you? Interfere and I'll kill off these hostages, one by one!" Bald yelled.

"You're just itching to draw blood, aren't you?" Ed's voice continued. "Alright." There was a small flash and a pipe appeared. "Passengers, hold on to your seats, because there's going to be some turbulence!" he exclaimed before water gushed out of the pipe and knocked all except the guy named Bald out of the car.

She looked over to see Ed walking over to her and high-fived him again. "Nice one, Ed."

Ed grinned. "Thanks."

She looked back down into the car and heard Hughes say something along the lines of him needing a shower, but she couldn't quite make it out, it was too soft for her ears, though she could tell it seemed to piss Bald off because she heard gunshots again and Hughes grunting before a thud was heard as if Hughes had fallen backwards.

"What's the matter, don't like my company?" Bald taunted.

There was no answer from Hughes at this, which seemed to piss Bald off more.

"Before I finish off the General, I'll take care of you," Bald continued, a sadistic grin on his face.

"Me first!" Ed yelled from beside her and leapt down to get Bald in a double arm lock, and she had the chance to see that both Ed and Bald had automail arms, but Ed's was the right arm, Bald's being on the opposite side, the left side.

Rai's eyes widened, her curiosity piqued. _Ed has automail too? But Bald's is on the same side mine's on…how did Ed get automail?_

Intrigued, she leapt down to land behind Ed then ran into the room where the guy and the others were. "Is everyone all right in here?" she asked them.

The guy was holding his ear, which apparently had been what Bald had shot, for there was blood seeping out from his hands. "Y-Yeah, we're fine here."

Rai looked at his bloody hands. "Sure you don't need that bandaged?"

The guy nodded. "Take care of Bald."

Rai nodded and ran out of the stall, skidding to a halt near Ed and Bald, who were still in a double arm lock.

"You wanted power too, isn't that right? That's why you got that arm!" Bald exclaimed.

Ed glared at him. "I have my own reasons for getting this arm. _And_, don't you _ever_ lump in _my_ reasons for getting this arm with your own!" he yelled, crushing Bald's automail gun arm and making him stagger backwards, Al punching Bald so the man was knocked out.

Hughes nearby chuckled. "Well good grief. That was something different."

Rai looked at Ed. "I'm curious…how did you end up with automail?"

Ed spun around and blinked at her. "Why do you ask?"

Rai merely took off her left glove, revealing her own automail arm.

Ed didn't appear surprised. "I heard the sound you made earlier when you dusted your hands off and wanted to ask you if it was automail, but I figured you had your reasons."

Rai nodded and put the glove back on. "Well, I guess I'll have to figure you'll tell me when you feel like it, and I'll tell you my own reasons then. Until then, we can keep our reasons to ourselves."

Ed nodded, smiling a little. "Deal." He gave her a long look. "I heard you say the name Mustang several times…do you know him?"

Rai laughed. "He's my boss, actually—has been for the last year." She scowled and crossed her arms. "He's also arrogant as all hell and tends to piss me off quite often cause he likes to set things up so that other people tend to take care of stuff for his benefit." She sighed. "Anyway, we'd better get a seat before someone fusses at us for being in the front car when we're not supposed to."

Ed nodded. "Right."

The three of them got a seat together and chatted, Ed and Rai bickering almost nonstop the whole time, and it had eventually had gotten so bad neither of them would talk to the other, though Rai didn't move to another seat-she merely started chatting with Al instead.

* * *

It wasn't long before they got to Central Station, and they got off just in time to see Mustang fry Bald with a mere snap of his gloved fingers.

"Ah, there you are, Mustang!" Rai yelled upon seeing him. "You've got some explaining to do!"

Mustang looked over in their direction and grinned. "Well, good to see you three have met each other."

Rai ran over and punched him with her flesh arm. "You moron! You set that up! You're always trying to set things up so it looks like mere coincidence, but I know better!"

Hawkeye, who was standing nearby, didn't look surprised, and neither did anyone else, including Hughes—they were used to Rai's temper.

Mustang rubbed where she'd hit him. "That's some right hook you've got there."

Rai glared at him. "Be glad that wasn't a left hook or it'd hurt worse and you know it."

Mustang frowned a little. "Good point." He looked at Ed and Al as Rai huffed and walked over to Hawkeye, who she liked better than she did anyone else. "Well, if it isn't Ed and Al. You two have made quite a stir-the General is even considering letting you two take the Alchemy Exam."

"But you said we always could take it!" Ed protested. "That's the whole reason we came!"

"Don't be silly, Ed, they would never have let kids take the exam," Mustang retorted. "But, thanks to the fact that you saved the General, you're getting the chance to." He walked over to Ed and put a hand on his shoulder. "Whether you take the Exam or not is still up to you," he told the other before walking past him.

Ed whirled around. "Of course I'll take it!" he yelled after the Flame Alchemist. "And pass! I would've done it anyway!"

Rai smiled a little at him. _I'm sure you will, Ed. I'm sure you will…_

* * *

[Edit] It just came to my attention that I did not have a physical description anywhere in the story, so I modified the first chapter to correct my mistake. Apologies for that!


	2. Nina and the Chimera

Ninjagirl: Wow this is more popular than I thought...XD cool! Anyway, I forgot the disclaimer last time so I shall see if I can get someone to do it this time...OI! ED!

Ed: -walks in- What?

Ninjagirl: Can you do the disclaimer?

Ed: -blinks- Why?

Ninjagirl: -holds up cookie- I'll give you a cookie!

Ed: O_O -staring at cookie- BlackNinjagirl does not own Fullmetal Alchemist, only Rai and this story. Now gimme cookie!

Ninjagirl: -hands it over- Good boy.

Ed: -_-+

Ninjagirl: Anyway, Here's chapter two! Enjoy!

* * *

**The Lightning Alchemist Chronicles--Finding the Stone**

By BlackNinjagirl

_Chapter Two: Nina and the Chimera_

Sure enough, Ed passed, though Al had to drop out of the Exam due to complications, and Rai happened to be in the office when Ed walked in to get his stuff.

Rai blinked upon seeing Ed again, then grinned. "Well, well, if it isn't Ed. I heard you passed the Exam."

Ed grinned. "Yep, with flying colors too."

"What'd you do to pass?"

Ed crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow. "What's it matter to you?"

Rai looked at Mustang. "You were there for the Exam, what'd he do?"

"Transmutation without a circle," Mustang replied.

Rai snorted. "_I_ could do _that_."

Ed glared at her. "You've been a State Alchemist for a year already!"

Rai stuck her tongue out at him, which only seemed to make Ed madder.

Mustang sighed. "Rai, get out of my office if you're not going to behave yourself."

Rai huffed. "Fine, fine, I'll be good."

Mustang turned to Ed, tossing him his watch. "You might need this."

Ed caught it easily. "I was expecting a ceremony with trumpets or something."

"Okay," Mustang told him, "Congrats, Ed--you're a dog of the military."

Rai glared at Mustang. "Very funny, Mustang."

Ed blinked at her. "What's so funny about it?"

Rai rolled her eyes. "I was being sarcastic, Ed--he told me the same thing when I got my own watch."

Mustang sighed. "Rai, I said behave."

Rai huffed. "I am."

"Not with interrupting me you're not," Mustang snapped back, Rai glaring at him before turning her back to him but not Ed, huffing again in something close to annoyance. "Havoc," he continued as if they hadn't been interrupted, "take Ed back to Tucker's."

"Yes, sir," said a man with blonde hair on top of his head in something of a military cut before walking out, Ed starting to follow.

"Hey, Ed," Rai called after the newer State Alchemist, "tell Al I said hi. Tell Tucker and Nina I said hi too."

Ed stopped and nodded at her. "I'll do that." He waved at her. "See you around, Rai!"

Rai smiled and waved back. "Later, Ed!" she called as he ran off after Havoc.

Mustang grinned at her. "So…got some new friends, do we?"

Rai punched his arm with her own right arm. "Shut it."

Mustang just chuckled.

* * *

A couple of days later, Rai was watching the phone like she always did when Mustang was away from his office, and she was sitting in his seat with her feet on the desk and her hands piled behind her head, looking quite comfortable, when the phone rang.

Rai picked it up and put it to her ear. "Central Headquarters, Lieu--"

"_Cut the introductions, Rai,_" came Mustang's voice through the phone. "_There's a serial killer on the loose._"

Rai dropped her feet off of the desk and sat up in the chair. "What? A serial killer? Where is the bastard?"

"_He's struck again. We found bodies in an alleyway. Ed's with us, though, so don't worry about him, he's fine._"

"Where are you guys? I want there in case any of you pass out--then I can poke fun at you about it."

She heard Mustang sigh. "_This is serious, Rai--we don't know who he'll go after next._"

"I know that, Colonel. I'm being serious about going there, though." She sighed herself. "The truth is, I'm worried about you guys. The killer might still be there."

Mustang snorted. "You_, worried about _us_. That's a first._"

"Oh shut it. Anyway, you think I could get a ride there?"

"_I'm sure we can arrange it,_" she heard him say, and she swore his voice had a smug ring to it as she heard a car pull up outside.

She smirked. "You know me too well, Colonel. My ride's here, I'll meet up with you in a few minutes."

"_See you then_," Mustang replied before he hung up, Rai following suit before grabbing her jacket and running out of the office.

* * *

The car dropped her off at an alleyway, and she saw everyone there--Hughes, Mustang, Hawkeye, Havoc, and a guy she knew but didn't remember his name. She even spotted Ed's red jacket through the blue as she walked up.

"Alright, I'm here," she announced, pushing through Mustang, Havoc, and Hughes to stand next to Ed, and blinked when she saw the cover over what she assumed was a body.

"That makes five," Hughes commented, sighing.

Rai turned to look at him. "He's gotten five now?"

"Hasn't investigations found anything yet?" Mustang asked Hughes.

"Don't blame us," Hughes retorted.

Hawkeye, who was trying to console the kid that was crying over the body, started to pull him away, the kid not letting go of the cover so that it was pulled off, revealing the body.

Rai was shocked at how mutilated it looked, and actually had to turn away at the memories it conjured up…memories she would rather have forgotten…

She glanced over at Ed and saw he seemed deeply shaken, but not by the body--rather, memories it seemed to conjure up for him as it had her, and he passed out not long after.

She gasped and caught him. _Whatever memories that brought up for him must not have been good._ She glanced down at his automail hand, which was covered by the glove. _Maybe it was like me--he tried to bring back a loved one and failed, losing a limb instead. But, that's for him to tell me when he's ready to._

She watched as Hughes picked him up and carried him off, Hawkeye covering the body back again, and she stood back up.

"Ed will be okay, though, right?" Rai asked Mustang, sounding a little worried.

Mustang chuckled. "He'll be fine."

Rai watched Ed being put into a car. "I'm not so sure…"

* * *

Rai walked up to the Tucker Estate and knocked on the door, Alexander coming out at the sound. "Uh oh…Alexander! No jumping. No jumping! GAAAAH!!!"

Alexander jumped anyway--and landed Rai on her stomach with Alexander on top of her.

"Oh, hello, Rai," Tucker greeted her, Nina squealing upon seeing her.

"Wittle Big Bwodew said you said hi, Wai," Nina told her.

Rai grinned despite being pinned beneath a Labrador. "I came to see if Ed was awake yet."

"Not yet," Tucker told her. "You can come see him yourself."

"I might need a little help getting Alexander off first, though."

* * *

It wasn't long before she was upstairs in the room with Ed, and the sight of seeing him unconscious with his hair loose nearly set her off drooling--who knew he looked so damn cute like that? Especially shirtless, with his automail gleaming like new…

She shook her head, snapping herself out of it, and heard him murmur, "Mom…I'm so sorry…"

_I was right,_ she thought with a sigh. _He tried to bring back a loved one, just as I did…_

"I'm going to go play with Nina," she told Tucker. "Let me know when he wakes up, will you?"

"You aren't going to wait yourself?" Tucker asked her.

"Nah, I hate waiting. I just wanted to see if he was alright and not sent into a coma from that."

Tucker nodded. "Are you sure it was that or to confirm something?"

Rai shrugged. "I'm not sure…but I am glad he's okay."

She turned to walk out when she heard him start awake, and turned back to see him looking at the ceiling, and she had to turn back around to keep from drooling--he looked even cuter when his eyes were open and his hair was loose.

_What the hell is wrong with me? Why am I nearly drooling over Ed?_ She sighed. _This is getting confusing. _She shook her head and walked out of the room.

* * *

The next day, Rai was again watching the office while Mustang was away on some unknown business--military business she figured the Fuhrer had given him--and the phone rang.

Rai, of course, picked it up. "Central Headquarters, Lieutenant Colonel Roy Mustang's office."

"_Rai? Where's Mustang? I need to talk to him._" The voice was none other than Hughes's, and he sounded serious--Rai knew he only sounded like that when something bad had happened.

"Oh, hello, Hughes. Mustang's out at the moment." She heard the serious tone in his voice and frowned. "Why? What happened?"

"_You remember Nina?_"

She blinked. "Of course I remember Nina--I told Ed to tell her hi when he left after he got his State Alchemist's watch. As a matter of fact, I got back from visiting her not long ago." She frowned. "Did something happen to her?"

"_She was turned into a chimera and killed._"

Rai was stunned. "What?! Who the hell--?!"

"_I'm not done yet, Rai. Tucker was the one who did it--fused his daughter and his dog._"

"He _what_?!?!"

"_Ask Ed and Al--they were there._"

Rai had to hold back a gasp. _Ed and Al _saw_ that?_ "I'm coming over there."

"_It's better you don't, Rai--Ed's kind of moody after seeing it._"

"All the more reason!" she yelled back.

"_Hughes, give me the phone,_" she heard Mustang say in the background, and she heard him hand it over before Mustang said, "_Look, Rai, I'm bringing them back to Central and you can calm them down there, alright?_"

She sighed in relief. "Thanks, Mustang."

"_Hey, they're _your_ friends._"

Rai growled, one of her eyebrows twitching. "I thought I told you to shut it about that."

She heard him chuckle. "_You know it's too much fun to tease you._"

The eyebrow continued twitching. "Then maybe you should listen to Hughes's suggestion to find yourself a good wife, eh, Flame Alchemist?"

The only response she got from that was a dial tone, indicating he'd hung up, and she giggled, pulling the phone away from her ear and sticking her tongue out at it as if she was doing it to Mustang himself before she put it back on the receiver to wait on them to show up.

"Hum," she mused to herself, "I wonder what Ed's State Alchemist nickname will be? Hopefully nothing to do with being short--he'd likely kick someone's ass for that."

* * *

She continued pondering over his State Alchemist nickname until the door opened and Mustang walked in, Hawkeye following him as always, and Ed and Al right behind them.

"Any calls while I was out?" Mustang asked her as she hopped up from the seat to let him sit down, walking over to Ed and Al instead.

"None other than Hughes's call, which you already know about," Rai replied before turning to Ed, who looked shaken. "Hey, you alright, Ed?"

"He'll be fine," Mustang interjected, making them look at him to find him holding an envelope, which Rai recognized. "I have something for you, Ed."

Rai ran over and took it, running back over to Ed. "Here," she told him with a grin. "I'm pretty sure I know what it is anyway. Go on, open it!"

Ed blinked at her and took it, opening it and pulling out a paper, Rai going behind him and looking over his shoulder to see what it said.

"Well?" Mustang asked him. "Read it."

" 'It is hereby declared by Fuhrer King Bradley, that Edward Elric be dubbed the Fullmetal Alchemist,' " Ed read out loud before looking at Mustang. "What is this?"

Rai grinned. "Cool, so Ed's the Fullmetal Alchemist! And I thought it was going to be something different…like, I don't know, the Redcoat Alchemist?"

Ed glared at her. "Redcoat? What?"

"Well you _do_ wear a red coat…"

"So do you."

Rai scratched her head. "Eh…good point."

"Anyway, Ed, I have a job for you," Mustang said, interrupting them. "There's an inspection job that needs doing in the East. I want you to go there."

Rai stepped forward. "Permission to accompany him."

Mustang blinked at her, as did Ed and Al. "What? Why?" the Lieutenant Colonel asked her.

Rai gave him a serious look. "You know what he just saw, and he hasn't recovered from it yet. Do you honestly intend on just letting him go in his current emotional condition, even if it _is_ with his brother?"

Mustang thought that over. "You have a point, Lightning. Alright, permission granted."

Rai let a relieved smile break out across her face.

"All right, both of you are leaving tomorrow--you'd better be ready then," Mustang added. "Dismissed."

Both alchemists saluted and walked out, Ed looking at her once they were outside of the office.

"Why'd you do that?" he demanded. "I would have been fine with just Al."

"Listen, you," Rai told him, poking his chest with a finger, "I just kept your ass out of trouble. Mustang would have likely sent someone else with you if I hadn't volunteered, so shut your mouth and be glad it's me and not some creepy bastard, alright?"

Al looked at Ed. "She has a point, Brother."

"Also," Rai added, "I'm still curious as to how you got that automail in the first place, and something tells me I'm going to have to get you to trust me first, and I'm going to have to trust you if I tell you how I got mine. We made a deal, after all."

Ed smiled slightly. "Yes, we did." He gave her a long look. "Thanks."

Rai waved a hand at him. "Ah, don't mention it. Now we'd better get back and pack, or Mustang might barbeque us tomorrow morning."

Both she and Ed winced at that. "Ouch," Ed commented.

"Yeah, not fun--he actually did that to me once when I accidentally hit him with a bolt. It hurts like hell." She looked at him. "We'll meet here tomorrow morning. Sound good?"

Ed thought a minute, then nodded. "Alright."

Rai nodded and turned to walk off. "See you, then," she told them before walking off.

"Bye," Ed called after her before turning to Al, both of them walking off a different direction. "Hey, Al, did you expect her to do something like that?"

Al shook his head. "She didn't seem like the kind of person who would do that."

Ed nodded at him. "That's what I thought, too. Apparently we were both wrong about her." He frowned. "She's an odd one…"

* * *

Ninjagirl: Time to reply to reviews.

**SpringforSummer14:** I already have several chapters written…I'll try and put them up every two weeks.

**Kallypso:** Oh really? Huh, I might have to read that then. XD Sounds interesting. And believe me, it gets interesting.

**VioletLily2010:** XD You'll see. It gets good later.

three reviews already. XD Awesome! Luv ya guys! See you next chapter!


	3. The Eastern Frontier

Ninjagirl: Here it is, the next chapter! But before you enjoy it...EDWARD!!

Ed: -walks in- What?

Ninjagirl: There you are. Do the disclaimer and I'll let you kick Mustang's butt later.

Ed: -grins- BlackNinjagirl does not own anything but Rai and this story. Now can I go kick Mustang's butt now?

Ninjagirl: Be my guest.

Ed: -runs off to find Mustang-

Ninjagirl: Anyway, to the story! Enjoy!

* * *

**The Lightning Alchemist Chronicles--Finding the Stone**

By BlackNinjagirl

_Chapter Three: The Eastern Frontier_

The next day, they were on the train headed for the east. Naturally, Ed and Rai were bickering for most of the train ride, Al using the chance to stare out the window.

"Ugh!" Rai bellowed finally. "It's like arguing with a fencepost. You're so damn stubborn!"

"Well you're as much to blame as I am, so can it," Ed retorted.

Rai sighed and stared out the window, having the window seat opposite Al as she was sitting next to Ed. "There's no point in arguing my point if you're not going to get it anyway, so screw it."

Ed looked at her. "Well you have to admit, Mustang is a bastard."

Rai looked at him. "I don't like him either, but he's not a total bastard. He's saved my life more times than I can count. Especially then…" Her eyes got a distant look in them, practically unreadable.

Ed looked puzzled. "When?"

Rai waved a hand at him. "We have a deal, remember? I'm not telling anything until then."

Ed crossed his arms. "And you call me stubborn."

Rai looked at him, then laughed. "I guess that's another thing we have in common then." She looked out the window. "Hey, there it is! There's our stop."

Ed blinked and looked out himself. "Whoa…_that's_ the East?!"

Rai grinned at him. "It's a coal-mining town, Ed--of course it looks unsophisticated."

Ed waved a hand at her. "No, no, it's not that, it's just…it's a little bigger than I expected."

Rai raised an eyebrow at him. "Well, what _did_ you expect? A few houses and a cave?"

Ed nodded. "Something like that."

She laughed. "No, no, it's nothing like that. It's more sophisticated than that." She looked at Al. "Do you find it interesting?"

"Well," Al replied, "like Ed said, I was expecting it to be smaller."

"It's small compared to Central," Rai retorted.

"Well, yeah, but Central's huge," Ed interjected. "It's the military headquarters."

Rai huffed in exasperation. "Arguing is giving me a headache…"

"You sure it's not Ed?" Al teased.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ed demanded of his brother.

Rai shrugged. "Might be Ed too, but mostly it's the arguing."

Ed glared at her. "Rai!!"

Al laughed. "Brother, you're too easy to tease."

"I wasn't teasing, I was being serious," Rai told Al.

Al laughed again. "Rai, you're funny."

* * *

The three of them got off the train once they got to their destination, looking around.

"Looks like there's nobody in sight," Ed commented.

"There's somebody here," Rai told him. "It's not deserted, otherwise we wouldn't have been sent here."

Ed looked at her. "I hope you're right."

Rai sighed before taking off her left glove and sticking it to her forehead, the cool of her automail soothing her headache some. "Ahh…that feels better."

Ed watched her. "Still got that headache from earlier?"

Rai nodded. "Yeah…too bad I can't get rid of it." She heard someone coming and quickly put her glove back on, though she missed the cold of the automail already. "Someone's coming…I told you there was someone here."

Ed glared at her. "Oh sure, rub it in, why don't you?"

Rai sighed. "Now's not the time," she murmured to him before he waved at a kid who was walking towards them with a big beam on his shoulder.

The kid looked instantly perked up and went over to them, Ed getting hit in the head with the beam.

"Ow!!" Ed yelled, rubbing his head. "Watch it with that thing, will ya?"

Rai looked at the kid, who looked interested upon seeing them. "Hey, are you guys travelers?" the kid asked them.

Rai scratched her head. "Eh…sort of."

"You need a place to stay?" the kid continued. "I know the perfect place. Hey Dad!!"

The three 'travelers' looked over to see a man with a similar size beam on his shoulder. "What is it?"

"We've got travelers!" the kid called back.

Rai groaned. The headache was getting worse the longer they stayed in the sun. "Ed, can we at least find somewhere to rest? My head is throbbing."

Ed looked at her, then nodded. "Alright." He looked a little worried. "Think you can hold out for a few more minutes?"

Rai put a hand to her head. "I don't know."

Ed looked at the kid. "At least take us somewhere to sit and cool off."

* * *

The kid took them to a bar, where Rai sat with her head on the table, attempting to get rid of her headache, while Ed and Al were over finding out how much it cost to stay at the inn.

"Say _what_?!?!" Ed yelled upon finding out. "Are you serious?!?!"

Rai grunted and looked up at Ed. "Could you not yell so loud?"

Ed looked over at her. "Sorry Rai."

Rai sighed and put her head on the table again. "Ugh, I hate headaches."

Ed turned to the woman and asked her something, but the woman shook her head and Ed sighed before walking over to Rai, sitting next to her.

"I tried to get you something but the woman said no," Ed told her. "Sorry…about your headache, I mean."

Rai smiled lightly. "It's okay, Ed. Thanks for trying, though." She closed her eyes, sighing. "Maybe if I take a nap, I'll feel better."

"I don't think Al would make a very good pillow, though," Ed teased lightly.

Rai smiled at his attempt to make her feel better. "I don't think he would either." She sighed and got up to go over to the woman herself, but her vision started wavering and then went dark entirely as she fell to the floor, unconscious.

* * *

Rai came to in a bed with Ed sitting in a chair next to the bed, and attempted to sit up but was pressed back on the bed by a woman with short hair and lavender eyes.

"You're sick and need to recover. Go to sleep, you'll be fine," the woman assured her, and Rai felt a cool and wet cloth being placed on her forehead, which felt good.

Ed looked at the woman. "She'll be alright, though, won't she, Lyra?"

The woman, apparently named Lyra, nodded. "She'll be fine." Lyra looked at Rai. "Never thought I'd meet two State Alchemists in one place before."

Rai blinked at being told she was sick. "Sick? How did I get sick?"

"You have a fever," Ed explained. "You must've caught something in Central."

Rai frowned. "I doubt it. I've never caught anything before when I was up in Central, I don't know how I would have caught anything…" She closed her eyes. "That cool cloth feels good, though…"

Ed looked at her. "Think you'll be feeling better soon?"

Rai smiled lightly. "I'll probably be fine after a nap," she told him, yawning. "I heal fast and I sure as hell don't die easily."

Ed laughed. "Good to know. Well, get some rest then," he told her. "I'll see you in the morning."

Rai smiled and nodded. "See you in the morning," she murmured back before she went to sleep.

* * *

Rai was startled awake in the morning when she heard some kind of explosion and blinked, then got out of bed and got ready, as she felt fine now, no headache or anything, running to meet Ed and noticing as she did so that Lyra had left at some point.

It wasn't long before Ed ran out of his room as well, then blinked at Rai when he saw her. "You weren't kidding, were you?"

"What was that explosion? What the hell just happened?!" Rai demanded.

Ed shook his head. "I'm not sure."

Rai took off running. "C'mon, let's go see what it was."

Ed nodded and ran after her.

* * *

They got to where the explosion had happened and blinked, seeing the inn had been blown to pieces.

"Holy hell!" Rai yelled. "What the hell happened here?! Who did this?!?! I'll kick their asses."

Ed elbowed her lightly. "Rai, settle down."

Rai shook her head. "Not until I get to the bottom of this." She cracked the knuckles of her right hand as if to make her point.

Ed sighed before the two of them heard movement and saw Al getting a kid out of the rubble--the kid they'd met earlier, and the kid was taken to his dad before Al walked over to Ed and Rai.

"You alright, Al?" Ed asked him.

Al nodded. "I'm fine, Brother."

"Good," Rai interjected, "cause otherwise I'd have to kick you."

Ed blinked at her before turning to the others. "Why don't you guys just move and take up residence somewhere else?"

Rai nodded. "It'd be easier--you wouldn't have to deal with this kind of stuff."

"You wouldn't understand," the kid's father retorted. "This is our home…and our coffin."

Rai looked at Ed, who had a thoughtful look in his eyes. "Home and coffin…that has a nice ring to it." He turned and walked off, Rai blinking at him and following along with Al.

"Brother? What is it? Are you going to help them?" Al asked him.

"We have no home," Ed told Al. "We burned ours to the ground. But that doesn't mean we can't save their home."

Rai looked startled. "You burned it to the ground?"

Ed looked at her. "The explanation is in the deal," he told her.

Rai nodded, understanding completely--if it was part of the little deal they'd made, he'd give her the explanation when he was ready. "Well, do you think you're going to help them?"

Ed sopped in front of a train car full of rocks. "This should do it."

Rai eyed the train car, then looked over at him to see him pull out a bag which looked like a money purse, and sounded like it had a lot of gold in it, too, and got what he was going to do. "You know if they find out about this, the military might get mad at you. It _is _illegal, after all."

Ed climbed into the car and grinned at her. "Then let's make this our little secret," he replied before dropping the money into the car and transmuting the whole thing into gold.

"Well, _my_ only question is, how are we going to get all of this to where we want it?" Rai interjected.

Ed stood up, grinning. "We'll figure it out somehow."

* * *

They got the transmuted gold back to the place Rai had woken up in and hid it in a room, and they waited until a guy with black hair and a moustache showed up and Ed walked over to him.

"Think you could sell me the whole town?" Ed asked him. "And throw in everything surrounding it while you're at it."

The guy blinked. "Sell the town?! You're out of your mind!"

"Actually I think he lost that some time ago," Rai told the guy, teasing Ed.

Ed shot her a glare before turning back to the guy, Rai grinning. "Well, if you could sell it, how much would you want for it?"

The guy thought a moment, then said, "I doubt you could pay anywhere near the amount I would ask for it anyway."

Ed sighed in mock distress, and waved a hand at Al, who opened the door to the room full of gold. "Oh, that's a shame. What would I do with all this gold then?"

Rai had to restrain herself from laughing at the man's reaction to the transmuted gold--he was practically drooling over it.

Ed saw this and grinned. "Just draw up some papers saying you gave me the town and all of this--" he indicated the gold, "--would be considered a gift from me to you. What do you say?"

Rai was now having a really hard time keeping from laughing--she was already giggling from the look on the guy's face.

Ed put a hand around him. "Just think of it--Colonel Yoki."

The guy, apparently named Yoki, looked at the gold, then at Ed. "Done."

* * *

The papers were written in no time flat and the three of them left, Rai bursting out into laughter once they were outside.

"Oh my God!! Did you see the look on his face when he saw all of that?" she asked him. "That was hilarious."

Ed grinned. "And he fell for it, too."

Rai continued laughing. "That's the funniest--no, scratch that, _second_ funniest--thing I've ever seen."

Ed blinked at her. "What was the first?"

Rai giggled. "When I was five, I burned Mustang with his own gloves."

Ed started laughing himself. "You actually did that?!"

She nodded, still giggling. "Yes, I did! You should have seen it, it was hilarious."

The two of them settled down, and Ed looked at Rai. "Alright, you go and put the inn back together--I'll go and talk to the guy in charge of the inn." He waved the papers.

Rai blinked at him. "What're you planning on doing with those?"

Ed grinned. "I'm going to trade them for a night at the inn."

Rai grinned back. "Sounds good to me," she replied before running for the inn.

She had it up with a simple clap of her hands and a slap to one of the broken pieces of wood, and she looked to see people walking over, praising her, and she scratched her head, blushing a little from all the praise.

"You fixed it!" someone nearby exclaimed. "Why did you fix it?"

"Because Ed and I aren't like that Yoki guy that comes around," Rai explained. "We don't try to drain every last penny from people. I don't know about Ed, but I do know that I became a State Alchemist in order to fix whatever I could. I happen to care about the people--Yoki's true love is money and nothing else."

The people around the revitalized inn and tavern cheered and continued cheering even as Rai made her way through the crowd to where Ed was standing with Al and the guy.

"So," Rai interjected, resting her right arm on Ed's shoulder, "did you tell them that now they don't have to deal with that bastard anymore?"

Ed grinned at her. "Yep. Yoki is not much of a big deal anymore."

Rai nodded. "Good to hear. Minute I saw him I wanted to kick his ass."

Ed rolled his eyes. "You want to kick the ass of anyone who decides to piss you off."

Rai grinned. "Yep, cause anyone who pisses me off deserves an ass-thrashing."

Ed laughed, but stopped when they heard a car pull up, and Rai dropped her arm from his shoulder to turn and see Yoki get out of that car.

"Well, speak of the devil," Rai muttered to Ed.

They walked over to greet Yoki, and the man pointed at Ed and Rai. "What happened to my gold? I went into that room and all there was in there was rocks!"

Rai looked at Ed. "You transmuted it back?" she asked him in a whisper.

Ed grinned at her. "You didn't think I'd actually let him keep all that gold, did you?" he whispered back.

Rai giggled. "Ed ward Elric, you are one devious bastard."

Ed's grin widened. "Don't I know it."

Rai laughed and turned back to Yoki. "Aww," she taunted, "did your golden lover run off and leave you?"

Yoki glared at her. "Lyra!"

Lyra stepped forward and put her hands on either side of the necklace around her neck, to which the air in front of it glowed red and then blasted towards them, Ed holding out his right arm to block it, which only ripped apart the sleeve of his jacket as well as his glove, revealing his automail.

Rai blinked. _So she sucks the moisture out of the air and uses it to create a powerful blast of air which would knock anyone over…Interesting._

Lyra's eyes narrowed. "You two are State Alchemists! Why are you helping them?"

"Because not all people in the military deserve to wear the uniform," Rai retorted. "If they did, we wouldn't have to clean out scum like them."

Ed nodded in agreement. "She would know--she's been in longer than I have."

"Only a year," Rai pointed out.

"That's still longer," Ed retorted.

Rai frowned. "True enough." She looked back at Lyra. "Why don't _you_ help people instead of work for scum like him?" she asked the taller woman, nodding at Yoki. "I bet if you put your alchemy skills to good use, you might be able to help a lot of people instead of using it to help out bastards like that one cowering behind you."

"Rai's right," Ed agreed. "And you want to become a State Alchemist, don't you? Then why not help people rather than hurt them?"

Lyra glared at him. "Shut up, you don't know anything!" she yelled before powering up her necklace again, and Rai ran over and snatched it off of her neck with her automail arm, smashing it to pieces in her metal fist before dropping the remains onto the ground.

"Nice try, but that won't work on me," she told the other woman. "Ed's not the only person with automail."

Lyra blinked. "Why do you go out of your way to help them?"

"Because they deserve it after Yoki treating them like the dirt he walks on. People's lives aren't something to toy around with, I know that now, and I learned the hard way." She gave Lyra a hard look. "Equivalent exchange. Learn it well."

Yoki and Lyra left not long after that, and Rai looked at her tattered glove and sleeve of her jacket. "Well that sucks. This is my favorite jacket, too…"

Ed walked over. "Here, let me fix it," he told her before doing just that.

Rai looked it over, then grinned at him. "Thanks."

Ed shrugged. "No problem. Guess we head back to Central after we spend the night, huh?"

Rai nodded. "First thing tomorrow morning."

Ed grinned. "It's a deal."

* * *

They did indeed leave the next morning on the train back to Central.

"You think Mustang set this one up too?" Rai asked Ed.

Ed shrugged. "There's no telling. We'll just have to find out ourselves." He gave her a long look. "You know, it might not be too bad if you stayed with us more. It gets boring with just me and Al."

"Hey!" Al interjected. "I'm right here, you know."

Rai grinned. "I might like that, you guys are quite entertaining."

Ed grinned back. "You never know, we might be more entertaining than you think."

Rai laughed. "I'll think about it and let you know."

* * *

Ninjagirl: Wow, FOUR reviews! Cool. Better than last chapter. Ok, replies time!

**ToshiroHitsugayagirlfriend:** Thanks very much! ^_^

**Ivywhisker:** Ahh! Quit changing your name, it gets confusing! First from SpringForSummer14 to Kaelyn The Hedgehog and then to this! _ And as to the story you're working on, let me know when you have it up and I'll review on it! ^_^ Thanks for the review!

**ShadowRainMemoirs:** ^_^ Glad you like it. I aim to please. XP

**VioletLily2010:** I didn't want to completely skip it over anyway because of the whole "Nina getting killed by Scar" thing so I put it in enough so that that was important, not to mention that the whole "Ed seeing the body and passing out" thing was key to major hints about Rai as well. That and so many stories kind of skip over it. As to the description…you forgot she has a temper the size of Texas. But you haven't seen that yet…other than that, you have it just about right on the nose. XD And Ed IS smexy, especially when his hair is down. -drools- Also, thanks for the review!

**MistressTaco:** Wow, a person that's as crazy as I am! XD Nice to meet a person as insane as I am. XDD Oh, I wasn't intending on going too fast with the whole love thing. And I'm getting good at love stuff…as to the tragic thing, I was intending on it. XD but the kidnapping thing sounds good too….I might add that in. Hmm…well, I would get a friend of mine to do the Beta thing but he's not much for FMA…if you could do it that'd be great! Or your friend would be okay…^_^ Thanks for the review!! POCKY AND BACON FOREVER!!

Awesome! I'm getting popular. _ Eh, not really, but…yeah…Anyway, luv you guys! See you next chapter!


	4. Three Years Later, Part One

Ninjagirl: Sorry about the delay in getting this one up, I was having so much fun with a friend of mine. Anyhow…Ed! Disclaimer time!

Ed: -runs in- Ok! BlackNinjagirl does not own Fullmetal Alchemist, only this story and Rai. -turns to me- Now gimme cookies!

Ninjagirl: -grins and hands over chocolate chip cookies-

Ed: -takes them and grins deviously before running off-

Ninjagirl: -raises eyebrow at devious grin- Huh. Wonder what he's up to…Anyway. Enjoy!

* * *

**The Lightning Alchemist Chronicles--Finding the Stone**

By BlackNinjagirl

* * *

_Chapter Four: Three Years Later--Part I_

The three of them were in the middle of the desert making their way to a city named Liore, all of them sweating.

"I hate deserts," Ed grumbled. "It's nothing but sand."

Rai fanned herself, attempting to cool herself off. "It's too damn hot in my opinion."

Ed fell on the sand. "If there was some grass I could turn it into bread. I'm starving!"

Rai looked at him. "Me too, and thirsty as hell."

Ed blinked and got up on his hands and knees. "Hey, Al, where'd you go?" he called. No answer. "Al!" Still no answer. "Hey!"

"Down here," they finally heard him say, and an armored hand came up out of the sand and grabbed Ed's leg.

"GAAHH!!!" Ed yelled.

"I sunk again," Al continued.

Rai blinked. "Sunk? Again? Geez, you need sandshoes or something?"

Ed looked over at Al's hand. "Reason number two I hate the desert."

"Well if you didn't keep scaring off the guys who would drive us, maybe we wouldn't have to walk," Rai told Ed.

Ed glared at her. "Well if they didn't call me short I wouldn't be!"

Rai sighed and they dug Al out of the sand.

"How the heck do you keep falling in?" Ed yelled at Al.

"I get full!" Al retorted.

"Full of what?.!" Ed yelled, kicking Al so that his breastplate fell off and Ed was covered in sand. Normally Rai would have giggled at that but at the moment she just was too hot.

Al, however, laughed, and then moved away from the pile that was Ed covered in sand, just before Ed broke out of the sand and started chasing Al.

Rai sighed. "Ed, you're making me more tired watching you."

The two of them were yelling at each other while Ed was chasing Al, and Rai sighed again.

"Can we just get somewhere cool?" Rai told them tiredly. "My head is killing me cause of that damn sunlight."

Ed stopped chasing Al and walked over to her, looking a little worried. "Rai, are you alright?"

Rai nodded. "I'll be fine once we get somewhere cool."

Ed nodded. "All right, let's get going."

* * *

They got to Liore, Ed looking tired and Rai fanning herself still.

"You alright, Ed?" Rai asked him, looking a little worried.

"If Al had stopped when I told him to, it wouldn't be like this," Ed replied.

"Well you wouldn't stop either if someone were chasing you," Al put in.

"Shut up," Ed retorted. "I'm too tired to fight. If only there was some water…I could almost hear it…"

Rai blinked. "Wait, I think I hear a fountain."

Ed ran over and looked around the corner. "It is! It's a fountain! I _can_ hear it! Al, Rai, look!!" he exclaimed excitedly.

Rai looked, and frowned. "That doesn't look like water," she commented dully, but Ed had already started running over to the fountain, and she sighed before following.

Ed stopped at the edge of the fountain, looking into it with an expression of disdain. "Well, that explains the nasty stench in the air."

Rai peered into the fountain as Ed grabbed a cup, filling it with the liquid in the fountain and looking at it.

"What is it? Blood?" Al asked.

"Nope," Ed replied, "more like blood red _wine_."

"Hey!" a guy yelled at them, pulling Ed away from the fountain. "Get away from there, you know that's off limits to kids!"

Rai blinked at the guy. "Eh…we were looking for water, not wine."

Ed explained that they were not from Liore and were passing through, and the guy took them to his shop and gave them refreshments--Rai lemonade and Ed orange juice.

"Oh, you're out-of-towners, that explains it," the guy said apologetically as Rai gulped at her lemonade, thankful that they had refreshments. "You'll have to forgive me, I thought you were trying to sneak a little dip."

Rai snorted. "Not my kind of stuff anyway."

Ed glanced over at Rai, then back at the guy. "A fountain stocked with wine--that's pretty ritzy. This town must be loaded."

Rai sighed, the lemonade cooling her off. "Ah…much better."

"Yeah, we do alright here," the guy replied as Ed glanced at Rai, smiling a little at her, before he looked back at the guy again. "Oh, almost forgot! Time for a little soul food," the guy added before flicking a switch, and a radio turned on, music coming through it, and Rai blinked and looked at Ed, who looked back at her.

"Children of God who live upon this land," said a voice Rai didn't recognize which came from the radio, making her frown. "As sun lights the day, so does the Sun God Leto illuminate thy path and drown out thy sorrows." The voice continued in this manner, and Rai huffed, not wanting to listen to any kind of religious anything.

"Well, that's freakish," Ed commented.

"Some kind of religious broadcast," Al noted.

Rai groaned and covered her ears. "Religious wish-wash is more like it," she grumbled. "Booooriiiiing."

"Your buddy's in a suit of armor and the both of you are wearing gloves in the desert, and you call _us_ freaks?" He looked the three over. "What's your deal anyway? Street performers?"

Ed, who had been drinking his orange juice, spat it out at that. "I don't think so, _pops_. Do I look like a clown to you?!"

Rai glared at the guy. "Street performers?" She snorted. "Like _we_ would ever do that crap."

"Well you must have some reason to journey all the way out here like this!" the guy pressed.

"We're just trying to track something down, that's all," Ed replied.

"Who's the guy jabbering religious stuff on your radio?" Rai asked him. "Some kind of priest or something?"

"Why that's Sir Cornello," the guy replied.

"Ah, never heard of him," Ed replied, then looked at Rai. "You heard of this Cornello guy, Rai?"

Rai shook her head. "Nope."

The guy looked shocked. "You're kidding me! You've never heard of the great prophet Cornello?.!"

"Why, should we have?" Rai asked, sipping her lemonade again.

"What's great about him?" Ed retorted.

"He can perform miracles, for one thing. I've never seen anything like it," one guy put in.

Rai raised an eyebrow. _This smells fishy, and there isn't any dead fish around here._

"This place was a desert dust bowl before Cornello got here and turned it into a desert paradise," another said.

"Cornello can even forgive sins," another added.

"Yeah," yet another agreed, "we're on the sun god's good side cause of him. He even gives us blessings."

Rai sighed. "My two companions seem to be the only ones who aren't religious nuts."

Ed laughed at that one. "Not too fond of religion, Rai?"

Rai shook her head. "Never was one for that kind of stuff."

Ed blinked as if remembering something. "Oh, I just remembered, we have to be somewhere." He looked at Al and Rai. "You guys ready to split?"

Rai straightened up. "Yeah, all of this religious stuff is starting to annoy me a little."

Al nodded. "Yeah, okay." He stood up and hit his helmet on the top of the place, knocking off the radio and breaking it. "Oops."

"Now you've done it, buddy! What do you expect, wearing a stupid tin suit?" the guy grumbled.

"Don't bust a lung, grandpa, we could fix it," Ed retorted.

Rai nodded. "Yeah, easy as pie."

Ed looked at her. "Actually I think pi is harder."

Rai poked him. "Wrong pie, Ed. I meant the food kind, not the math kind."

"How're you going to fix it, it's in a thousand pieces!" the guy protested.

"I'm sorry," Al told him. "Let me try."

"Sure," Ed told him.

Rai shrugged. "Alright with me."

Al bent down and drew a transmutation circle with chalk around the broken radio.

"That drawing, what's it for?" the guy asked Ed.

"You'll see in just a second," Ed replied.

"It's called a transmutation circle," Rai added.

Al, now done, stood up. "Okay, here goes." He put his hands out and put them on top of each other so they crossed and they were above the radio, then he tensed them and there was the usual flash of light that came from alchemy which kicked up smoke, and when it cleared, the radio was in one piece, and Cornello's voice even came out of it.

The guys around gasped.

"It's really a land of prophets! Your buddy can work miracles just like Cornello!" the first guy exclaimed.

Rai laughed while Ed turned to the guy. "It's nothing like that."

"It's science," Al interjected as he brought over the fixed radio. "We're alchemists."

"We're the Elric brothers," Ed added. "Not to brag or anything, but we're pretty well-known."

Rai nodded. "And I'm the Lightning Alchemist," she added, pointing to herself. "I'm pretty well-known myself."

"Elrics? Not familiar," one man commented. "And I don't think I've heard of any Lightning Alchemist either."

"We don't have any alchemists around these parts," another told them.

"That would explain it," Rai noted, looking at Ed.

"I fix things for a living, let me know if you guys are ever in need of a job," yet another told them.

Rai sighed and Ed grinned sheepishly.

"Well, so much for that," Rai said with a sigh.

"They don't need any work, that's Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist, and his female companion is Rai Kagerai, the Lightning Alchemist," a woman said from nearby. "They've been celebrities around East City. They say those two are real child prodigies."

Rai's eyes narrowed slightly at the woman. _This town is full of suspicious-looking people._

Ed grinned. "Heh."

"Oh, a real live famous person," one guy commented.

"Oh, I get it! They call you Fullmetal cause you wear that armor," another commented.

"Hey, would you come to my daughter's birthday party?" another guy asked.

All of the guys were crowding around Rai and Al, thinking Al was the Fullmetal Alchemist, and Rai giggled.

Al waved his hands. "Uh, I'm not the Fullmetal Alchemist, he is," he told them, indicating Ed.

"Huh?" the guys asked, turning to look at Ed.

"You mean that little shortie there?" one guy asked.

Rai sighed. _Oh no, they called him short. Here comes the rant…_

Naturally Ed got mad at the short comment and grabbed two of the guys by the collars, spinning them around and yelling, "SHORTIE?.!.?.! CAN A SHORTIE DO THIS?.!.?.! WHAT ELSE YOU WANT TO CALL ME, A HALF-PINT PIECE POINT MIDGET?.!.?.! I'M STILL GROWING, YOU BACKWATER DESERT IDIOTS!!!"

Rai managed to keep from laughing--she knew Ed hated being called short, and she did too, but she always thought it was funny what Ed said when he was called short.

"I see there's plenty of excitement around here today," a woman said as she walked up with a bag of what appeared to be groceries in her arms, and Rai looked over at her.

"Ah," the older guy said, "Rose."

Ed stopped twirling the guys around--Rai fought to keep a laugh from escaping at the looks on the guys' faces, they were so funny--and looked at the newcomer, Rose.

"That's okay," Al interjected. "My name's Alphonse Elric."

"And I'm Edward, Al's older brother--also known as the Fullmetal Alchemist," Ed interjected.

Rai nodded to her. "I'm their friend Rai Kagerai, and I happen to be known as the Lightning Alchemist."

Rose looked a little puzzled. "_Older_ brother? But shouldn't it be the other way around?"

Rai giggled at Ed's mad look. "Easy, Edward," Al told him.

The guy chuckled at Ed before turning to Rose, Rai hearing what he said. "So, Rose, have you finished your shopping for today's offering?"

"Yeah," Rose replied.

"Well, then, maybe you could take them to temple with you. They say they're looking for something. Maybe Father Cornello can help them. You know, ask for God's good grace."

"No, no, that's okay, we don't really--" Al started to say.

Rai sweatdropped. _To temple? To get surrounded by more religious nuts? Hell no, I'm not going there…well, unless Ed wants to._

"It's alright if you don't have an offering today. There's rooms for travelers, you could stay there tonight," Rose interrupted Al.

"No, that's okay, we don't want to--" Al started to say, but Ed cut across him.

"We'd love to take you up on that offer, wouldn't we, Al, Rai?"

Rai turned and looked at Ed with an _are you out of your mind_ look, while Al stopped, appearing startled.

"We would?" Al asked, and Rai imagined him blinking. "You mean you want to?"

"Mm-hmm," Ed replied.

Rai sighed. "You'd better have a good reason for this, Ed," she muttered to him as they started walking towards the temple. "I'm not going in there unless you tell me why we're going in in the first place. You know those places make me uneasy."

Ed grinned at her. "Relax, Rai, you'll be fine."

Rai looked at him, then sighed again. "I hope so."

They walked in silence behind Rose for a while before Ed turned to them again. "Hey, guys, remember the girl at the shop? She knew us…have we met before?"

Rai frowned and thought a minute, then said, "I don't remember her, and I've known you for, what? Four years now? And traveled with you for three of those."

Al thought a minute. "No, I don't think so."

"You shouldn't worry," Rose put in suddenly. "I'm sure Cornello will help you find what you're looking for. And besides," she added, "I bet if you show him you're faithful, I'm sure he could make you taller!"

It was Rai's turn to get annoyed at the comment. "Enough with the damn short jokes, they're pissing me off."

Ed blinked at her. "Rai, are you okay?"

Rai blinked and looked at him. "I'm fine, why?"

Ed shook his head. "No reason."

Rai gave him a strange look. _Ed's been acting weird lately…maybe he knows? Nah, he couldn't, only Al knows. But it is weird…_

Rose looked at her. "Maybe he could make you both taller," she teased.

Ed looked mad. "What's wrong with you people? I'm not short! You act like you come from a desert tribe of giants or something."

Rai sighed. "Ed, will you calm down already?"

Ed glared at her. "You want some of this too?!"

Rai's eyebrow twitched. "Edward," she said in a slightly dangerous tone.

Ed blinked. "What?"

Rai looked at him and sighed, then put a hand on his shoulder. "Settle down already."

Ed nodded. "Okay, okay…"

* * *

They got to the rooms and Rai sat on the windowsill, looking out of the window, where Rose was standing in front of a grave.

"I spoke to Rose. That grave is the grave of her boyfriend," Al told them.

Rai blushed a little at the word boyfriend, but, thankful Ed couldn't see her, quickly recovered. "Her boyfriend, huh? Poor girl."

"He was all she had," Al continued. "Her parents died when she was a little girl. Cornello has her convinced he can bring him back to life."

Rai turned around and looked at Ed. "You and I both know firsthand that that can't be done," she told her best friend--Ed had told her before the journey to find the Philosopher's Stone how he and Al had ended up the way they did, and, because of their deal and her belief in equivalent exchange, she had in return told him about her failed attempt to bring back her younger brother, in which had cost her her right leg, as well as the operation in which she had lost her left arm but gained her legend status as an alchemist.

"So he's leading her on and letting her think he can do it," Ed muttered.

Rai crossed her arms. "Which is stupid. What's Cornello up to, trying to convince them that they can be brought back from the dead? This smells fishy, and it's not the sushi I had for lunch."

Ed laughed. "You didn't have sushi, you hate that stuff."

Rai grinned at him. "I know, it was only a joke." The grin vanished. "I'm being serious when I say something fishy is going on, though."

Ed nodded at her. "I agree."

"Well, maybe he can," Al interjected, making them both blink.

"What are you talking about?" Rai asked him. "Don't tell me this guy's religious mumbo-jumbo is getting to you. I'm not going to be traveling with religious nuts."

Ed laughed. "I'm not turning into a religious nut!"

"_You're_ not, but _he_ seems to be," Rai retorted, indicating Al.

"But what if Cornello really is a holy man? What about all those scriptures? Maybe there _is_ something out there, something we can't explain," Al continued.

Rai shook her head. "I seriously doubt it--nobody can be brought back from the dead."

"Don't count on it," Ed agreed, looking out the window again, and Rai saw him look startled, so she looked out the window herself.

Some religious-looking guy and someone looking to be working for him were there next to Rose, as if consoling her, but Rai huffed and turned her back to them, though not before the second guy looked at her.

"C'mon, let's get to bed," she told the brothers, adding in a mutter to Ed, "Maybe we can poke around tomorrow."

The next morning, the three alchemists were up and watching the guy, who was apparently Cornello and who they'd seen with Rose at the grave, perform 'miracles', turning water into wine, a log into a stone statue similar to the ones they had seen around town, and several others.

"What do you think?" Ed asked his companions.

"It's pretty obvious," Al replied. "He's using alchemy."

Rai crossed her arms. "I knew something was fishy with him."

"Yeah, but still, something's wrong," Ed pressed. "It's not equal--"

"Hey guys," Rose greeted them, Rai turning to look at her. "How're you liking your first miracle gathering? He's amazing, isn't he?"

"Well, he's an amazing actor, I'll give him that," Ed replied, "but those aren't miracles. He's swindling you!"

"Now Ed, we don't know that," Al argued. "We just know he's using alchemy and that he's ignoring the laws."

"What laws?" Rose asked them.

"Equivalent exchange," Rai told her. "In order to create something, you have to give something up in return. It's the basic law of alchemy. Hell, it's the basic law of _everything_."

Ed nodded at Rai. "It's not witchcraft, it's science, and you don't make things out of thin air. In chemistry, a reaction has to be balanced--so does alchemy."

"It's an equation, Rose--your output has to be of equal mass to the materials you started with," Al added. "Rai put it in a better way, though. And the base elements have to be similar too, like the radio I fixed. I couldn't make it bigger, or shrink or something."

"Equivalent exchange, as Rai so nicely put it, is our founding principle," Ed added.

Rai shook her head. "It makes no sense! He's totally disregarding those laws…"

"Because he's working miracles!" Rose told her heatedly.

It was then Cornello brought a bird back to life, and it flew around Cornello, Rai watching it as it landed on his shoulder.

"What do you say now, Ed? I bet you can't do that with alchemy," Rose pressed. "It's a true miracle…has to be."

Rai blinked and looked at Ed. "Ed, do you know what that means?"

Ed turned to her and nodded. "It has to be, nothing else would do it."

Ninjagirl: Yo, another chapter--well, part of a chapter, since this one is so damn long I had to put it in three parts--done! And….-stares at screen-….four reviews and a flame. Hm, at least now I can have a cookout with the flame. XD Maybe power up my flamethrower and use it on Envy. Or Lust. Hmm…choices! XP

Anyway, to thank my reviewers:

**VioletLily2010:** Wow, you're becoming a regular reviewer! XD Awesome. And with the whole name thing, I usually try to find out as many names as I possibly can. I have to say, some of them are interesting…._ Anyway, thanks for the review! -hands you cookie-

**NINJA MONKEYS :D**: XD Love the name. Makes me think of Kim Possible. XP And it's true, the only ones are Izumi (Ed and Al's teacher) and Mei, the little foreign girl from the manga. (They always think her little panda is a cat. XD) Besides, having a girl for an alchemist is quite entertaining, especially when said girl is a smartass. BTW, yes, ninjas ARE epic--and I love the signature. XD Many thanks for the review, and here's some peanut butter for your pet ninja monkeys. -hands over peanut butter- XD

**DarkAngelDreams13:** Thank you, I write to please. XD Thanks for the review, have a cookie. -hands over cookie- BTW…is she really kickass? Cool. But unfortunately for you, her heart belongs to a certain blonde. XP

**Vanisha Tigerseye Stride:** It seems like this one is the last change, thankfully. It was getting puzzling. Anyway…I look forward to seeing the rest of your story!! It's a good start and I hope the next one ends up being longer.

That's the last review, but….To the flamer, if you see this story again…there are several reasons for why I did that and Ed is not entirely known for being the youngest. He IS known for being the shortest as well. (Just don't tell him that to his face. XP) Rai's not known for the fact that she was the youngest--she's known for a particular mission she did, in which she lost her arm. They put down a different age when she became a State Alchemist, so you could say she's older than she looks, looking at paperwork.

Okay, I'm done now. See you in the second part of this chapter!


	5. Three Years Later, Part Two

Ninjagirl: Well, here's the long awaited second part of chapter four! …Sorry it took so long, I lost my jump drive with my story on it and looked everywhere for it…only to realize I backed it up on my recovery drive on my laptop. X.x Glad I did, too, cause I would have hated to retype 30 pages of work. But yeah. Enjoy what I worked so hard to find!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own FMA-Although I _really_ wish I did, I'd be rich as hell if I did-but I DO own Rai, her smartass remarks, and this story.

* * *

_Chapter Four: Three Years Later-Part Two_

The three of them snuck into the church where Rose was polishing the altar, and Ed got Rai to sit in a pew a couple back from him while Al hid in a corner.

"So, you think if you pray and polish the altar enough times, someone who's dead will be brought back to life?" he said finally, startling Rose.

She turned around and smiled at him. "Something like that."

Ed sighed and pulled out a little book, one Rai had seen only once before, and opened it. "Water, 35 liters; carbon, 20 kg; ammonia, 4 liters; lime, 1.5 kg; phosphorus, 800 grams; salt, 250 grams; saltpeter, 100 grams; sulfur, 80 grams; fluorine, 7.5; iron, 5; silicon, 3 grams; and trace amounts of 15 other elements."

Rose looked puzzled. "What is that?"

Ed looked at her. "That's all the ingredients of an average adult human body, down to the last specks of protein in your eyelashes." He snapped the book closed. "And even though science has given us the entire physical breakdown, there's never been a successful attempt at bringing a human to life." He leaned forward. "There's still something missing, something scientists haven't been able to figure out in centuries of research. So what makes you think that hack job priest with his parlor tricks is going to be able to?"

Rose huffed slightly.

"And in case you're wondering," Ed continued, "all those ingredients can be bought on a child's allowance. Humans can be built only cheap-there's no magic to it."

Rai facepalmed despite herself. _Great, Ed, scare the living daylights out of her, why don't you?_

"Well if there's no magic, then _you_ bring someone back to life!" Rose retorted.

Rai was so tempted to retort to that, but wisely kept her mouth shut.

"It's just a matter of time, Rose," Ed continued. "Science will find a way. Science is the answer to everything. If I were you, I'd drop the scriptures and pick up an alchemy book-we're the closest things to gods there are."

Rai glared at him. _Okay, Ed, I am so smacking you later._

"You're not a god," Rose snapped back. "You're nothing close to it."

Rai spotted Al, then spotted a guy sneaking up behind her out of the corner of her eye when she turned to look at him, and she saw the guy behind her put a gun to her head and pull the trigger. She swiftly ducked under it before she leapt up and connected her right boot with the guy's jaw, the guy toppling over backwards as the gun flew out of his hand.

"You'll have to do better than that to kill me," she retorted before running over to Ed.

"Neither is the sun-it's just a mass of hydrogen," Ed continued, not noticing Rai. "Get too close to it as Cornello claims and all you'll do is burn up."

Rai smacked him. "Quit with the damn cynicism, Ed," she growled at him.

Ed rubbed his head. "Ow, Rai, what the hell did you do that for?"

"Cause you're being an idiot in putting it to her that way," Rai retorted.

There was a sudden gunshot and the two State Alchemists turned to see Al's helmet go flying over to them, landing next to Ed, and Al's body toppled out of a door.

Rai looked at the guy who had walked out after Al's body had fallen. "You know, you're a bigger idiot than Cornello is if you think you could beat us."

Ed elbowed her. "Rai."

Rai sighed. "Okay, okay, I get the point."

Rose looked shocked. "Cray! What are you doing?"

"These three are enemies of God-this is his will, Rose, not mine," the guy, apparently named Cray, replied.

Rai snorted. "Oh really? God wants you to kill for him, or is it just Cornello?"

Cray pointed the gun at her. "Shut up, you."

"I don't think so, mister," Al's voice interjected from behind Cray, and, wide-eyed, he turned to see Al's body get up, Rai and Ed both smirking.

Cray backed away from Al's body, pointing the gun at him instead, and Ed tossed Al's helmet into the air and threw it at Cray, hitting him in the back of the head and knocking him out.

"I got it, I got it!" Al exclaimed and caught the helmet.

"Stee-rike!" Ed said with a grin.

"Nice shot," Rai commented.

Ed grinned at her. "Thanks."

They both heard a shriek and turned to see Rose looking completely horrified.

"He doesn't have a head!" she said, her mouth covered.

"That's Al for ya," Rai told her.

"Please don't be scared, Rose," Al told her, bending to show he was entirely empty. "This is how I am."

"Y-You're not there," Rose stammered.

Rai grinned. "He makes a good place to hide, I'll tell you that."

"It's true, I don't have a body," Al told her, Rai going somber at that, and she noticed Ed had his bangs covering his eyes. "But I'm here. This is my punishment for setting foot on holy ground where mortals are forbidden. We made a mistake, Rose, and we're paying for it."

Rose shrieked again and ran off, Rai blinking at her.

"Okay…I admit, I was a little scared when I found out, but she's overreacting," she muttered.

"Rose, wait!" Ed called after her, and the three of them chased after her down a flight of stairs and into a room in the basement, where they lost her.

"I can't see a church social down here, can you?" Ed commented upon looking around.

"I'd be surprised to see a funeral down here," Rai put in. "This place seems more like the place you'd have a cult meeting."

Ed looked at her, then nodded. "Actually, I'd agree with that."

Some lights came on to reveal Rose standing on a platform with stairs leading down to it.

"There she is!" Ed yelled, Rai going into a battle stance.

"Oh look," Rai commented, "here comes the false prophet."

"You wrestled with the darkness and prevailed," Cornello told Rose. "Thank you for bringing them here."

Rai huffed. "Quit the holy man act, you jackass," she snapped at Cornello. "We know you make a perverted priest anyway."

"State Alchemists, brutal enforcers," Cornello continued. "I had a feeling one of you were going to show up someday."

"Well today's your lucky day-you got a two for one deal, and both happen to want to kick your ass to hell where it belongs," Rai retorted.

Ed glanced at Rai. "Chill out already, now's not the time."

Rai growled impatiently. "He tries hurting you I'm frying him," she muttered to Ed.

Ed nodded at her. "Fine with me." He turned to Cornello. "Well let's not chalk that up to pious premonitions, okay? You knew we'd come for the stone."

Cornello smirked. "Do you mean this, young man?" he asked as he held up the hand that had a ring on it.

"HA!" Rai yelled triumphantly. "I knew it! The stone, the Philosopher's Stone!"

Ed smirked as well. "Alchemy without a transmutation circle, completely ignoring the principle of equivalent exchange! It could only mean one thing."

"Yes, the mythical gem, the legendary amplifier…the Philosopher's Stone," Cornello told them.

"That's it, Al, it's ours," Ed said in an undertone to Al, getting a look on his face Rai didn't like too much before saying so Cornello could hear, "Cough it up, Cornello! That stone belongs to me now, and if you hand it over peacefully I won't tell the people here what you've been doing!"

"What's that, restoring their town to peace and prosperity?" Cornello retorted. "Do you know what would happen if my miraculous wonders suddenly stopped? Nobody wants that."

Ed grunted, Rai glaring at the so-called 'prophet'.

"Do they, Rose?" Cornello added, turning to the girl beside him.

"Don't listen to him, Rose, he's just a con man!" Ed yelled at Rose.

"Nonsense, would a con man restore life to a dying town?" Cornello retorted. "When I arrived here this town was full of strife and I brought peace. They came to me with parched throats and I created water. I built buildings for them and even gave them money. They believed that heaven had forsaken them and I became their prophet. Why does the military want to destroy all this?"

"I don't care what the military wants, I'm here for me!" Ed yelled, Rai looking startled-she'd never seen Ed like this before.

Cornello looked startled. "What?"

"_I_ need that stone," Ed retorted. "_We_ need it to make something right again!"

Rose gasped. "So that's it!" she yelled. "This is all about _you_ and what _you_ want! What about us? You don't care."

"Rose, we're only trying to-" Al started to explain, but Ed cut across him.

"It's no use," he told his brother.

Rose sobbed, her bangs covering her eyes.

"Enough, there is no point in arguing," Cornello put in. "If you want the Philosopher's Stone you'll have to take it from me."

Rai smirked. "I have no problem with that," she retorted, bringing up her left hand to snap her fingers and send a bolt at him. "Bring it on, you old coot."

Cornello merely raised the hand with the ring on it and the ring glowed, the floor beneath them turning to sand and taking Al in it with a whoosh, though Rai and Ed leapt over the sudden sand geyser.

"Ahh, dammit," Rai growled. "If he's gonna do that, I won't have time to snap. Guess we'll have to do it the old-fashioned way."

"Al!" Ed called after his brother. "Hold on!"

"You've got more important things to worry about right now, Ed!" Rai called over to him. "Like that wannabe priest!"

Cornello chuckled. "Armor is a disadvantage in soft sand. You can't draw transmutation circles in it either."

Rai shrugged. "Works for me."

Cornello reached behind him and pressed a switch. "Let me introduce you to one of my creations," he continued as Rai head noises coming from nearby. "You two will be able to appreciate this-a chimera."

There was a snarl and they both turned to see a what looked like a lion and snake cross walk over to them.

"You twisted bastard!" Rai yelled. "You sick son of a whore!"

Ed shot her a glare at the cursing, though he, too, looked disgusted at the chimera. "You combined animals…the most depraved kind of alchemy there is."

"Maybe so, but most effective," Cornello retorted.

"Yeah…effectively pissing me off!" Rai retorted, snapping her fingers and catching the chimera off-guard with a lightning bolt, true to her State Alchemist's nickname, the lion roaring in pain then lunging at her, but Rai leapt aside, Ed having clapped his hands and summoned a spear, and he knocked the chimera aside.

Cornello appeared surprised. "Ah…ha-how did you do that without a transmutation circle?"

Rai just smirked before creating a sword of her own with a clap of her own hands, twirling it on her other side and away from Ed.

Cornello looked pissed. "Bring me their heads, my pet!" he yelled, the bird jumping off of his shoulder and morphing with the help of the Stone into a huge deformed parrot, which grabbed Ed's spear with it's talons and snapped it.

Rai leapt and attempted to stab it herself, but the bird caught it in its beak and snapped it as well, it's beak then closing around her left arm, to which she yelled as if in pain, Rose gasping, before Rai instead grinned.

"You missed the real thing, you dumb parakeet," she yelled before snapping her right hand and engulfing the huge parrot in lightning, making it squawk in pain and let her go so that she dropped to land several feet away from the chimera, though it still stayed in the air.

The parrot, giving up on Rai, instead went for Ed, its talons wrapping around his right leg and squeezing, Ed yelling then grinning like Rai had.

"Wrong leg, pal," he told the bird, its talons breaking off and it squawking in pain again. "But this is the right arm!" he yelled before punching it with his right arm, knocking the bird away to land on the sand, not moving.

The chimera had gotten up, and Rai was the first person it ran at. Rai kicked at it with her right leg and it immediately caught her calf in it's mouth, Rai grinning and easily getting her leg loose before it was kicked away, and it went for Ed and chomped down on his right arm, gnawing on it, Ed not even flinching.

"What's the matter, you poor bastard? Can't get a good taste?" Ed mocked before lifting it up and tossing the beast up and kicking it so that it too landed on the sand and didn't move.

Rai dusted off her hands. "Well, that was entertaining."

Ed laughed at her. "Rai, have I ever told you you're insane?"

Rai looked mock thoughtful. "I think you have about 20 times already."

"Well I'm saying it again-Rai, you're insane," Ed told her.

Rai grinned. "Why thank you."

"Th-That's impossible," Cornello commented, looking startled. "Those attacks on your arms and legs…no one could survive that! Unless…" Cornello seemed to realize something. "Your limbs-they're fake."

"Well, well, you're not as stupid as you look," Rai commented, ripping her jacket off though keeping her tank top as Ed ripped off his own jacket and half of his shirt as well, revealing that they both had automail-Rai's being her left arm from the shoulder and Ed's being the right arm from the shoulder.

Rose gasped upon seeing them. "Oh God…"

"Don't look away, Rose," Ed told her. "You need to see what happens when you bring a human back to life, when you cross into God's territory or whatever the hell it is! Is this what you want? Look!"

Rai glanced over at Ed and had to look away to keep from drooling over the image. "I didn't lose my arm from trying to bring someone back to life-that was from something different. But I lost my leg because of it."

"Your arms…your legs…they're machines," Rose said shakily.

Rai nodded, holding up her left arm. "Yes, it's called automail. Believe me when I say you don't want to go through the surgery to get it. It's worse than hell."

Ed nodded in agreement with Rai. "She's right, it's not pretty."

Cornello looked sadistic. "I see…now I understand you, Elric, Kagerai. You crossed the line, you did what is strictly forbidden. You tried to create human life and your bodies were taken to the other side."

Rose gasped.

"I told you, Rose," Ed said to the woman, "get too close to the sun, and you burn."

Rai closed her eyes. "As sadistic as it sounded at first, I can see where it fits in now." She looked at Ed-nearly drooling again as she did-and frowned. "You could have gone easier on her about it, though."

Ed shrugged. "She needed to hear it, so I told it to her straight."

"Apparently you would, but you were crazy enough to try it yourself," Cornello put in, then eyed Ed. "You are the Fullmetal…the Fullmetal Alchemist!"

Rai shook her head. "I was put in because I could transmute things-complicated things-at an early age, and could understand everything of what I had done."

Cornello smirked. "Well, that does answer a riddle-why the military would give a child such a stern name, Fullmetal…but it's literal." Cornello chuckled. "See, Rose, they forbid their own from transforming lead into gold, but there's one practice more taboo, a technique forbidden by man and nature itself." He looked at her. "Alchemy…on human souls."

Rose gasped as Rai averted her eyes, looking over at Ed, who was staring at his feet.

"You poor little boys and girl, dabbling in human alchemy without knowing its limitations! You stepped on the toes of God!" Cornello yelled.

Rai was getting pissed. "Shut up! You don't know anything!" she yelled viciously, startling Ed-Rai knew he'd never heard her say anything with so much venom in her voice.

"You don't know the stories," Al put in, but Ed merely said his brother's name, making him stop, and Al looked down. "But…we just wanted…" Al stopped and started again. "We just wanted to see Mom's face again…see her smile…"

Rai still wasn't looking at anyone as she added, "My brother was the only family I had left…"

"But you failed, didn't you?" Cornello interjected.

Al sighed, Ed adding, "Yeah, I'd label that a failure, all right-Al lost his whole body and I lost an arm and a leg. I ignored every signpost because I was reckless and I wanted it bad enough." He looked at Rose, holding up his automail arm. "Rose, this is what happens when you try to bring back what's dead. Do you really want to go through with that?"

Rai didn't say anything, instead merely watching Ed, her face an expressionless mask, though her eyes belied so many emotions it was hard to discern individual ones.

Cornello walked over to Rose and put a hand on her shoulder, Rose appearing startled and looking at the so-called 'priest'.

"Rose," he told her, "you forget that the great Sun God Leto has blessed me with the Philosopher's Stone. Besides, I have far more experience than these heretic boys and their idiot girlfriend did."

"Don't be stupid," Ed yelled back, "no matter what kind of power you have, some things can't be done!"

"Oh?" Cornello retorted. "Then why are you so anxious to get the Stone? You want to beat the laws of equivalence just as I do and bring your mommy and dear brother back."

Rai growled. "Like I said, you bastard, you don't know anything!" she snapped at him.

Ed gave her a look, which she caught and went silent to, then he turned back to Cornello. "Wrong, 'holy man'," Ed told him, making Cornello start in surprise. "All we want is to get our bodies normal again. See, we don't lie about what's possible-we didn't start a cult."

Cornello growled in frustration.

"We will ask one more time," Al put in. "Please give us the stone."

Rai shot Cornello a look that promised pain-a _lot_ of pain-if he didn't cooperate.

Cornello merely smirked. "You are damned, State Alchemists. May the wrath of God fall upon your heads."

Rai snorted. "More like fall on _your_ ugly head, you jackass," she muttered.

Ed looked mad. "Stop hiding behind that crap. Why don't you get down here and I'll _show_ you some wrath!"

Rai smirked. "He won't come down cause he's just a big chicken," she told Ed, taunting Cornello. "Think of it as a game of kick the can, only it's his can we have to kick!"

Ed laughed at that. "Good one."

Rai spotted Rose looking over at Cornello before looking very scared and backing away, and poked Ed. "Quick, a wall!" she muttered to him urgently, and he transmuted one in front of him and Al, Rai diving behind it not a second before shots rang out, all of them hitting the wall, thankfully.

"Close call," Ed said, Rai sighing in relief.

"Too close for comfort," she agreed. "_Way_ too close for comfort."

"Father Cornello!" Rai heard the man who had attempted to kill Al yell from behind them and the three of them spun around to see the one Rose had called Cray along with several helpers with him, and Ed and Rai exchanged glances.

"Well, guess we'd better make like a banana and split!" Rai yelled as Cray pulled out a gun and shot at Al again. "And you never learn, do you?" she added to Cray. "Bullets don't work on him."

Ed had already taken off running towards a dead end and Rai took off after him.

"Al!" Ed yelled. "C'mon!"

Rai was trying like hell not to nosebleed as she ran behind Ed-she was getting some very vivid images staring at his muscular back. _Stop it, Rai,_ she told herself. _Now's not the time to get a nosebleed._

"You idiots, you're running right into a dead end!" Cornello yelled at them.

Ed merely smirked. "Well, like I always say, if you can't find a door, make your own!" he said and clapped his hands before putting them to a wall and creating a door, which the three of them went through.

"We've got company!" Rai warned Ed as the guys followed. "Mind if I slow them down?"

Ed grinned. "Not at all."

Rai turned so she was running backwards and snapped several times, several guys getting zapped and falling over so they tripped others and a domino effect started, then she spun back around. "That should keep them for a while."

* * *

Ninjagirl: Well, that's the end of another chapter…er, part of a chapter. God, this one is long… Anywho, review replies time!

**Kaelyn the Hedgehog:** If there's one thing that I seriously avoid, it's a character that's a Mary-Sue. I make damn sure to NOT make my own characters one. And to the PS: That stinks, I liked the prologue. But it's your story, so I'm not complaining or anything. And you're welcome for the next part. :D

**VioletLily2010:** OMG! That would be awesome! I would love it if you did fanart, I was hoping at least someone would do some kind of fanart for at least one of my stories. And wow, really? Thanks. :D

**The Killing Question:** Yeah, I know I need to update more, but I spent like three weeks looking for the jump drive I lost, only to realize it was on my recovery drive on my laptop. So yeah…ironic, right? And yeah, I like smartasses too. I'm actually a smartass myself…the stuff I have Rai say is stuff I actually say when I'm watching the show lol.

**Silent Goth Girl:** Heh heh heh…you'll see. XD I'm not gonna spoil it. As to what Rai and Mustang's history is… it's kind of a long one. There's gonna be a flashback on it at some point. When, I'm not sure yet, but I know there'll be one.

**Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967:** Thanks very much! Hope you liked this chapter too, I'm honored. :D

Ninjagirl: That's all of them for now…hope you enjoy, and you know where the review button is! :D!


	6. Three Years Later, Part Three

Ninjagirl: Ahahaha! The final part to chapter four! Which I had to put into three parts because of the fact that it ended up being 30 pages on Word. So yeah. X.x I will try not to make chapters this long again, but it's not guaranteed. And I am already working on chapter five. Almost done, actually...and I sort of went off of the Ep. Unfortunately, disc 2 of season 1 is the ONLY one I don't have anymore, so it ended up being from what I could remember of it. Oh yeah. FLAMEASS!

Mustang: -walks in- What is it, shortie?

Ninjagirl: Don't call me short or I'll give you an afro!

Mustang: What did you want?

Ninjagirl: Do the disclaimer.

Mustang: Why?

Ninjagirl: Are you _looking_ to get an afro?

Mustang: -sighs- Fine. BlackNinjagirl does not own me, the shrimp-

Ed: I HEARD THAT!

Mustang: SHUT IT, MIDGET! -or Fullmetal Alchemist in general, so don't sue or you might be the one getting an afro.

Ninjagirl: Damn straight! You can go now, Flameass.

Mustang: -_- Stop calling me that. -walks off-

Ninjagirl: Pfft. Flameass fits you. XD Anyway. Review replies at the end of the chapter. Enjoy! (And thanks to my beta, Thestormslayer!)

* * *

_Chapter Four: Three Years Later-Part Three_

They got away and were sitting next to a statue, Rai sighing.

"Phew, that was close," she huffed. "Dammit, Ed, you put us in too many close calls."

"You like that, that's why you stay with us," Ed retorted.

Rai shook her head. "No," she replied. "I have other reasons for staying with you guys."

Al chuckled. "Like l-"

"Al!" Rai snapped at him before he could finish. "You promised!"

Al looked at her, then sighed. "Sorry Rai."

Ed blinked. "Promised what?"

Rai waved a hand at him. "Nothing, Ed."

Al looked at them. "Why do they think we're evil? If we'd wanted the stone at all costs, we would have taken it by now."

There was a ringing noise as the speakers turned on, and a voice Rai recognized as Cray's said, "People of Liore, this evening a trio of unbelievers tried to take the life of the great prophet Cornello-one short and blonde, one also short and brown-haired, and the last wearing armor. I beg you all to stay in your homes," Cray added, and continued saying something else but Rai didn't catch it.

"Oh he did _not_ just call me and Ed short!" Rai growled as Ed quickly got Al to run off and transmuted the statue into an Al look-alike. "He's bound and determined to make us look like criminals. We didn't even try to kill him!"

It wasn't long before there was a crowd around them, all holding something they were going to hit them with.

"There's no question, you guys, they're the ones-the two short newcomers and their tin man," one guy said.

Ed was pissed at that. "WHO'RE YOU CALLING A MOUSY LITTLE PIPSQUEAK?"

Rai growled at the short comment. "Call me or Ed short again, buster, and you're going to get it."

"Nobody said that, now back off," the guy retorted. "We got more important business to settle."

Ed scratched his head, Rai crossing her arms and leveling them all with a glare.

"And what business would that be?" she asked them.

"What kind of depraved souls are you?" another guy asked. "How could you go after the prophet?"

Rai put her glove-covered flesh hand to her forehead. "Oi, you idiots don't listen, do you?" She looked at them. "We were never trying to kill him! He'd be dead already if we were!"

Ed nodded. "Rai's right, and we'd be done with you people already."

"We welcomed you here! You made us believe you were good!" a woman interjected.

Rai huffed and crossed her arms again. "Fine, don't listen."

Ed sighed. "Look, lady, I never asked you to believe anything. He's just a priest, he's using alchemy!"

"Liar," a voice Rai recognized as Rose's interjected, and the crowd parted to let her through. "Just now, my boyfriend spoke to me. Cornello's bringing him back."

"Fishier than the sushi I ate," Rai said in a singsong voice.

Ed shot her a look, which made her go quiet, before turning back to the crowd, which made happy noises.

"You mean old Cain which we lost in the accident?" the first guy, the one who had called Ed and herself short, interjected. "He was a good kid-good for you, Rose."

"There, you see? And he's not the first, either, there've been many others who've come back," the woman told them.

Rai gave them all a look. "Has anyone actually seen these people? Cause if it was real, you'd have the scare of your life to find out what it really looked like."

Ed nodded. "I heard they left town as soon as they were brought back," he agreed.

"Look!" one of the men yelled, and Ed and Rai turned to see the statues in town walking on their own-seven of them.

"Damn," Rai muttered, preparing to snap her fingers, but Ed put his hand on hers to keep her from snapping.

"Just let them capture us, I have a plan," he muttered to her, Rai blinking at him.

"Alright," she said after a minute, dropping her hand as the statues surrounded them. "This doesn't work, I'm smacking you later."

Ed grinned. "Deal."

The two turned to face the statues again, just in time to see 'Al' get picked up by a statue and tossed aside.

"Al!" Ed yelled.

"Ed!" Rai yelled at him. "Behind you!"

Ed was about to turn when one of the statues hit him on the back of the head, and Rai looked at the statues, backing away from them.

She turned to look at Ed for just a second, but that was a mistake, for she felt something hit her on the back of her own head, hard enough to make her fall over onto the concrete, her vision fading in and out before she fell unconscious.

* * *

She came to in a room with someone other than Ed carrying her and got out of his grasp and kicked him in the face with her automail leg before she realized what she was doing.

_You know what? I may as well since I'm free and the bastard needs it anyway,_ she thought to herself before running over and leaping into the air, catching the false priest completely off-guard with a boot to the jaw, sanding him flying several feet away, and getting several more guys off of her before she was finally overpowered by the men, and heavily restrained.

"Let me go, you bastards!" she yelled furiously, struggling to get free.

Cornello got up and walked over to her, and leveled her with a glare, one Rai returned with full force, and he said, "May the wrath of God rip you to pieces."

Rai spat in his face. "He'll take you before he takes me," she snarled back.

Cornello smirked before looking down at her State Alchemist's watch, grabbing it and yanking it from its chain, then doing the same with Ed's.

"Hey! Give those back, those don't belong to you!" Rai yelled at him.

"So, these are the watches of the State Alchemist," Cornello said as if marveling over them. "Never seen one up close. They're the reason you can do alchemy without transmutation circles, aren't they? They amplify all of your work, I think you two will be quite harmless without them." He eyed Rai. "You, girl, will need a close watching."

Rai growled again. "Bastard!"

Cornello merely laughed. "Take them away."

* * *

Once they were in the cell with their hands chained above them and they were sitting against the wall cross-legged and alone, Rai looked at Ed.

"Bah," Rai muttered. "My kicking him and nearly breaking his jaw should have taught him not to cross us."

Ed grinned at her. "Seems the guards are too scared to watch you like they should for fear of getting their butts kicked."

Rai smirked. "As well they should be-Hawkeye taught me some of my fighting techniques, but you taught me the rest."

Ed blinked at her. "Hawkeye? Really?"

Rai nodded just as the door opened and Rose walked in bringing two trays of food.

"Great, you came to feed me! And I thought you were mad," Ed told her, opening his mouth for her to put the food in, Rai rolling her eyes at him.

Rose, however, set the trays in front of them and started running off.

"Rose, for your sake, I hope he's real," Rai told her quietly, to which she stopped running. "I just don't want you to get disappointed."

Rose didn't answer, just continued running, the door slamming closed behind her, and Ed looked at Rai.

Rai caught him looking and blinked at him. "What? I was being sincere."

"I know you were," Ed retorted, "it's just rare to see it." He smiled at her. "I like it when you're being sincere."

Rai blushed slightly and looked over at her tray. "Thanks, Ed." She lifted a foot and moved the tray closer to her before looking over at Ed to find him doing the same, then she looked at her shoes.

Ed froze, seemingly hearing something, and Rai stopped too, hearing the small sounds of metal scraping stone, and she smiled as Ed muttered, "I knew you'd come through for me, Al."

* * *

It wasn't long before the two of them heard footsteps, and they managed to get back where they were before she recognized the footsteps as Cornello's.

Rai glanced over at Ed. _This stuff really is going according to his plan. This whole scheme of his is going to get broadcast to the entire city._ She grinned despite herself. _And I'm going to laugh my ass off when he finally finds out._

Ed shot her a look which told her to get the grin off of her face, and she did before Cornello came in their cell.

"This little charade of yours will be found out soon enough," Ed told the false prophet once the man was standing in front of them.

"The faithful are not likely to distinguish between alchemy and the works of God," Cornello retorted. "Really, as long as I'm bringing them happiness, what do they care where it comes from?"

Rai was just watching the conversation with an outward expression of mild interest, while inwardly she was fighting to keep from letting out uncontrollable fits of laughter.

"Right," Ed retorted, getting a smug look on his face. "So, what's in it for you, besides all the kowtowing?"

Cornello grinned, and Rai had to keep from yawning at the long spiel he gave off by then as they waited on Al to finish setting up the microphone connection.

"So, is it the money you're after?" Ed asked finally, and Rai figured Al had finished setting it up by now so she attempted to hold back a giggling fit.

"Oh, I can get all the money I want from the offerings," Cornello retorted, grinning. "But you think too small. I'm making believers who would gladly throw away their very lives in my name. And why not? They believe I can resurrect them. They aren't afraid to die. There is no greater army than those with a holy call." Cornello turned his back to them. "Mark my words, in a few years I'll have a following large enough to tear this country apart and rebuild it, in my name!"

Ed sighed and took his arms down from the loose chains, Rai doing the same before she grinned and stole Ed's drink, Ed glaring back before stealing hers, sticking his tongue out at her as he set it down on his tray and picked up his bread, Rai drinking her water quietly.

"Makes no difference to me," Ed retorted, making Cornello turn around. "After all, there's no real way to bring someone back to life, right? Once you cut us down, we're gone for good."

Rai gave Ed a glare that said _no way you're dying on my watch_, Ed smiling at the glare before looking back at Cornello.

"I'm afraid that's right," Cornello replied, not noticing Rai drinking her water _with her arms free_. "Even with the Philosopher's Stone, I wouldn't dare try human alchemy. I'd end up like the two of you. And why would a king risk his life for the sake of his mindless pawns?"

Ed pointedly took a bite of bread, Rai setting her water down and picked up her own bread, which she looked at with a raised eyebrow-it looked rather stale.

Cornello realized they were no longer chained and blinked. "Wait a second…"

Ed looked at him and grinned before moving aside to reveal the hole in the wall with Cornello's microphone, Rai, unable to keep from laughing any longer, burst out laughing from the look on his face.

"WHAT?" Cornello yelled. "How long has that thing been on?"

Rai attempted to muffle her laughter in her gloved hand as Ed replied, "Long enough for the 'mindless pawns tearing this country apart' comment, I think."

"How did you get my broadcasting equipment?" Cornello demanded.

"Al rigged it up. I know, you smashed him into pieces, but that was just some metal I whipped up to look like him! Pretty clever, huh?" Ed retorted, grinning wider.

"No, my children, he lies! Don't believe him!" Cornello yelled before he shot at them, Rai pulling Ed out of the way before it could hit them, and Ed transmuted his automail into a sword before slashing off the front end of the staff which had been transmuted into a machine gun.

"Ha, so much for that," Rai commented. "But the look on your face was priceless, Cornello-you should have seen it." She grinned, transmuting her left arm into a sword herself.

"By the way," Ed added, "we don't get our skills from pocket watches."

Rai nodded, her right hand held out ready to snap if she needed to while her left hand was ready to slice through anything that came her way.

Cornello gasped before turning and running, Rai grinning and taking off after him, Ed following after her, and transmuting their automail back to normal.

* * *

Cornello led them to the front steps and stopped in his tracks, gasping in fright, as he looked over the mob in front of them.

"My children, the nonbelievers have used their science to impersonate me," Rai heard Cornello call out to the mob. "It is a conspiracy of the devil! But witness as the great sun god redeems me with his vengeful light!"

Rai turned to Ed, who was standing next to her. "You believe any of this crap he's feeding them? All I hear is _blah blah blah, blah blah blah_."

Ed looked at her. "Nope, not a word. Sounds like he's just feeding them religious mumbo-jumbo, as you like to call it." He shuddered. "Sun god this, sun god that-it makes me sick."

Rai grinned at him. "I think I'm rubbing off on you."

Ed grinned. "You are, in more ways than one."

Rai blinked, then blushed lightly at the double meaning, which made Ed grin wider.

"You always are cuter when you blush," he said in a near whisper, Rai looking away from him.

"Ed, stop it already," she told him. "Right now Cornello is what we need to worry about."

Ed's grin faded. "You're right…sorry."

Rai crossed her arms, but was now watching Cornello. "What are you apologizing for? It's unnecessary. I never said I didn't like the compliment, I just said now's not the time."

Ed's grin returned. "Oh, I see now." He turned to look back at Cornello.

"Behold God's poweeeeeeer!" Cornello yelled, and raised his hand in the air, the ring glowing before the statues in the area came to life and stepped off of their platforms.

Rai yawned-she'd seen Ed do better. Hell, she herself could do better-and turned to Ed. "You want this or should I take care of it?"

Ed shrugged. "Let me, I haven't had a good chance like this in a while."

Rai nodded. "It's all yours then."

Ed stepped out from next to her and stood behind Cornello, Rai staying where she was and watching the scene, though she kept alert in case anything went awry.

"I'm warning you, give it up," Ed told him.

Cornello turned to face Ed, scoffing at him. "You can't fool me with that little display down there. Without your watches, all you and your little girlfriend-" Rai shot Cornello a glare at that, but not without a blush, Ed also turning red at the remark, "-can do is alchemy to your own metal arm."

Rai sighed. _What an idiot. First rule of battle-never, absolutely _never_, underestimate your enemy._

"You know what?" Ed retorted, the blush gone though he looked mad now. "You're not the only one who can't stand doubters, preach!" he yelled before clapping his hands and putting his left flesh arm to the ground, the familiar blue light of alchemy at work going through the temple. "Here's the _real_ hammer of God!"

There was a rumble and an explosion before a huge version of the sun god idol appeared, towering far above where the temple was and looking to be twice as tall, Rai smirking upon the idol's appearance as it walked towards where Cornello stood, stopping several feet from him.

"I don't believe it," Cornello muttered. "Not even the Philosopher's Stone could move something as big as _that_!"

The statue moved and its fist went towards Cornello, who yelled in fear and covered his head, but the fist landed next to the priest, smashing the smaller statue to pieces.

Rai took that as her chance to walk out, and she went over and stood next to her best friend. "I hope you learned your lesson, Cornello. First rule of combat-never _ever_ underestimate your opponent."

Ed grinned at her. "Thanks for letting me take care of it."

Rai smiled back. "Aw, it was worth it-he looked like he was going to pee his pants when that statue was about to hit him. I just wish I'd had a camera."

Ed laughed before walking over to Cornello, giving him a look that said hand it over or the next hit will be right on target.

"NO!" Cornello yelled in protest. "You can't have it! I won't let you take the stone!" It was then, however that the stone seemed to react, and Cornello stopped and fell to his knees, clutching the arm that had the ring with the stone on it and yelling in pain.

Rai blinked. "What in the hell?"

Cornello continued yelling in pain until he finally held up the arm that had the stone ring on it to reveal the arm had mutilated into some kind of robotic something or other.

Rai's eyes widened as Ed ran over to him, and she followed.

"What the hell?" Ed exclaimed.

"It's recoiling!" Rai told him, dropping to one knee and taking Cornello's mutilated wrist in her automail hand. "Look!"

Ed bent over to look when the stone seemed to dim and then split into droplets, vanishing into the air.

"An imitation?" Rai asked, blinking, as she looked it over. "You mean we just chased after a damn imitation?"

"Apparently so," Ed replied, looking just as annoyed as she did as he stood up, and, sounding as if he was muttering to someone, added, "After all this, all the trouble you put us through…even the Stone's a fake?" His hands clenched into fists. "Stop jerking us AROUND!"

Rai stood up and put her glove-covered flesh hand on Ed's flesh shoulder. "I'm sorry, Edward," she told him sincerely, using his entire first name, which she very rarely did-she only used it when she seriously meant what she said and she wanted Ed to know she meant it. "I really am…kind of annoys me that I can't help you guys out so much."

Ed turned to her. "But Rai, you do help! Immensely! You get us out of tight situations, especially when we need it."

Rai blinked. "Well, that is true…" Her hazel eyes met his amber ones, and she smiled before hugging him. "Thanks, Ed." She pulled away from him and grinned. "C'mon, let's go meet up with Al."

Ed nodded and the two of them ran off in the direction of the armored Elric brother.

* * *

They got to a bridge in the middle of Liore and found Al sitting there, and Ed went over and sat next to him while Rai sat up on the stone railing between them but not interrupting their vision of each other.

Ed sighed. "Just another wild goose chase…and here I thought we could finally put you back in the flesh again."

Al shook his head. "No, Brother, you'll be the first we fix."

Rai smiled, watching the exchange silently.

"That automail's so tough on you," Al added.

Ed grinned, then looked up at Rai. "I'm not the only one with it, though."

Rai shrugged. "I've gotten used to it," she retorted. "I admit, though, it would be nice to have four good limbs again." She held up her left hand and looked it over, then, with a sigh, let it drop again. "Not much we can do about it right now, though."

Ed nodded. "Nothing left to do but start the search again."

"You're going to make me nosebleed if you don't put a jacket or something on, Ed," Rai muttered under her breath.

Ed blinked at her. "What was that?"

Rai shook her head. "Nothing," she replied before they heard footsteps and turned to see Rose walk up.

"Why?" Rose asked, sounding about to cry. "Why did you have to come here? Things were fine before you three showed up! We believed we could do anything. We even thought we could bring the dead back to life! How am I supposed to live knowing that Cain won't ever come back?"

Rai's eyebrows rose slightly at that. "Are you saying you _wanted_ to be under a dictatorship with that con man as your ruler?" she retorted.

Rose didn't answer, just shook slightly, and Rai heard movement before she turned to look at who had stood up to find Ed with his back to them.

"You've got legs of your own, Rose, you should get up and use them," Ed said quietly before Rose fell to her knees, crying, Rai hopping off of the railing before heading over to Ed, poking him in the side and making him move away from the poke with a small smile and a "Stop that."

"You okay?" she asked him.

Ed looked at her and nodded. "I'll be fine."

Rai poked him again, Ed moving away from the poke again. "You suure?"

Ed nudged her back with his flesh elbow gently. "Yes, I'm sure."

Rai grinned a little before nudging him in the ribs, Ed laughing a little, which perked Rai up. "Oho, ticklish there, huh?" she teased, knowing full well he was and taking the chance to tickle him lightly, the two of them continuing to mess around until Al caught up with them and the three of them headed off.

* * *

Ninjagirl: Hope you enjoyed the chapter... I couldn't remember my original ending to this one, and I know Rose came up and complained...(like always), so I ended up making another ending. Seems kinda crappier then the original... But anyway... as promised, review replies time!

**shugochara119**: XD Thanks. And thanks for the review! -hands a cookie-

**VioletLily2010**: Yush, I am back. I wasn't aware I'd left. XD And of course I'd still be working on this. I'm a big FMA fan, why wouldn't I? It's slow progress, but I am indeed still working on it.

**Thestormslayer**: Thank you. XD Even though you already read it lol. And to all you others. READ HIS STORY, Padre Nuestro! It has Rai in it. XD You like this one, you'll like his.

**kasuki101**: Lotta reviews, one for each chapter. XD And I know, right? the whole thing with Nina was SO SAD. I actually cried. And here's your update. XD Thanks for the review!

Well, that's all for now. So many reviews! -hands out cookies to all that reviewed- Review for this chapter and see you next chapter!


	7. The Mini Tournament Assessment

Ninjagirl: Yes, I know that you're thinking, "OMG you're late!" I'm also busy a lot too, and I tend to stall cause I wait on replies. 30 reviews! That's more then my other story, and that one has about the same amount of chapters! Dayum. Anyway. Disclaimer. ENVY!

Envy: -walks in, looking annoyed- What is it, brat?

Ninjagirl: Do the disclaimer.

Envy: ...And _why_ should I do _that_?

Ninjagirl: Because I said so! And I can burn your sorry ass to cinders!

Envy: Do honestly think that would work on me?

Ninjagirl: Just freaking do it, Palmtree!

Envy: -waves hand- Yeah yeah, keep your pants on. BlackNinjagirl does not own the Fullmetal shrimp-

Ed: -in the background- I AM NOT SHORT!

Envy: SHUT UP, TWERP! -or my beautiful self-

Ninjagirl: -cough-Ugly-cough-

Envy: -glares at Ninjagirl- -or even Fullmetal Alchemist in general, so there's no point in suing her because all you'll get is worthless crap.

Ninjagirl: My games are not worthless crap! Especially not my Final Fantasy VII! Don't diss the Cloud!

Envy: Whatever.

Ninjagirl: -glares at him- You can leave now before I punt you, Palmtree.

Envy: -glares- Don't call me that. -walks off-

Ninjagirl: -once he's gone- He says that, but he looks more like a palm tree then anything. -waves a hand- Anyway. Review replies at the end of the chapter like always. Enjoy!

_**Note**_: Beta'd by Thestormslayer. Thanks lil bro! XD

* * *

**The Lightning Alchemist Chronicles-Finding the Stone**

_**By BlackNinjagirl**_

_Chapter Five: The Mini-Tournament Assessment_

Several weeks after the Liore incident, the three alchemists made it back to Central, and were standing in Colonel Mustang's office.

"You three did well," Mustang noted once Rai had finished her report on what had gone on in Liore. "I'm impressed." He turned to Rai. "Still want to stay with them?"

Rai leveled him with a glare. "You may be a Colonel, but you seem more like an idiot to me."

Ed snickered. "Good one, Rai."

Rai smiled at Ed before turning back to Mustang. "Of course I want to stay with the Elrics!"

Mustang nodded. "I figured you'd say that." He looked at the two State Alchemists. "By the way, both of your assessments are coming up."

Rai blinked. "Wow, so soon?"

"Well, you three have been traveling around," Mustang pointed out. "Anyway, you should decide what you're going to do for it, and stay in Central until you've done it."

They nodded and left the room, walking down the hall.

"So what do you think we should do?" Ed asked his best friend.

"Well, I don't think we should tell everything we've found out about the stone to everybody in hearing distance," Rai replied. "Mustang once told me about a battle being fought as an assessment…maybe we could do that."

Ed grinned. "Perfect! I could pay Mustang back for calling us short!"

Rai blinked. "You want to fight Mustang?"

Ed blinked at her. "Well, what's wrong with that? You don't like him calling you the 'S' word, do you?"

"Of course not, but a battle?"

Ed grinned. "Thing is, if I win, he can't call us names."

"But what if _he_ wins?" Rai pointed out.

Ed shrugged. "I'll just make sure I win." He caught the skeptical look Rai was giving him. "What? I'm not going to cheat, if that's what you're thinking."

"You'd better not, else I might knock you into next week," she retorted, then frowned. "Well…if you're battling Mustang…who am I supposed to fight?"

"You could fight me after I'm done with Mustang," Ed suggested.

Al nodded. "Yeah, it could be like a mini tournament."

Rai thought a minute. "I like the idea…let's do it!"

The Fuhrer blinked when Rai told him her idea. "A mini-tournament? Sounds quite interesting." Bradley smiled. "I like it. We'll do it!"

Mustang, who had come along as well, blinked. "But, sir-!"

"Fullmetal against Flame and then Lightning battles whoever wins," the Fuhrer said.

"Which I'm betting is Ed," Rai put in with a grin.

The Fuhrer looked at the young alchemist. "Hmm…Fullmetal versus Lightning. That would be an interesting battle indeed. But then again, Lightning versus Flame would be a good battle as well…this should definitely be entertaining."

"Well, considering I've worked with Ed long enough for us both to know each other's moves, I bet it would," Rai interjected. "It would probably end up a stalemate, if I know battles. That and we both have automail."

Mustang chuckled. "I guess when you put it that way, it _does_ seem interesting…"

Rai turned to walk off. "Well, if I'm going to battle once you guys are done, I'd better go get ready for it."

"Two days, Rai," Mustang told her.

Rai turned back to look at him, a smile on her face. "I know." She turned back and waved as she left the room.

Rai was in her tank top two days later, her automail left arm glinting in the sun, though she still had on her gloves, pants, and boots, and her hair was back in its usual ponytail, and she had her arms crossed. "This will be interesting."

Ed, who was standing next to her in similar garb but with his jacket and shirt still on, was grinning like a maniac. "Considering I'm going to get to beat some sense into Mustang, I would agree with you."

Rai laughed. "If you win, that is."

Ed snorted. "Oh, I'm going to win, I can assure you that."

Rai poked him. "Don't jinx yourself before you even get started!"

Ed crossed his arms. "Not likely."

Rai just sighed and shook her head before looking out to see Mustang approaching them.

"Lightning, Fullmetal," he greeted them, "good luck."

Rai grinned. "You should tell yourself that-Ed here thinks you're going to need it."

Mustang smirked. "He's the one that's going to need it."

Ed glared at the taller man. "You wish!"

Rai sighed. "Stop it before I send lightning bolts at the both of you."

Both alchemists stared at her, blinking.

Mustang, upon recovering from his shock, smirked. "You wouldn't hit Ed, would you? I thought you-"

Rai shot him a very scary glare that instantly shut him up. (AN: ….She shut Mustang up? O.o Wow…that's one scary glare…) "You mention that again and you will be regretting it."

Mustang, however, simply walked off.

Ed, however, blinked at Rai. "Thought you what? What was he going to say?"

Rai shook her head. "Nothing, Ed, don't worry about it." She saw Hughes walking to the middle of the Alchemist's Battle Arena and grinned. "You might want to head out there-Hughes is getting ready to announce the competitors."

Ed nodded. "Um, Rai?" he asked her, sounding hesitant.

Rai blinked at him. "What?"

"If I don't win, you'll beat him for me, right?"

Rai rolled her eyes. "You just said not long ago you were going to beat the living daylights out of him." She lightly pushed him in the direction of the center of the arena. "Go on out there and kick his butt already! You've wanted to for a while already, now go do it!"

Ed smiled and nodded. "Right. Thanks Rai."

Rai pushed him again. "Go on already. And give him hell from me!"

Ed nodded and took the hint, heading out to the middle of the arena.

Rai smiled when she watched him head out to fight Mustang. "Ed, I swear you're an idiot sometimes…" _I guess it's why I like him so much,_Rai added to herself.

"All right everyone!" Hughes announced, and Rai had to grin-Hughes was a very likeable guy. Anyone who didn't like him was either PMSing or was just a bastard all around. "Time to get things underway!"

He turned to hold out a hand towards Mustang. "In one corner we have Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist!" He spun around and held out a hand towards Ed. "In the other, we have Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist! Winner of this match will battle-hey, where is she?"

Rai jumped and walked to Hughes, having forgotten Hughes announcing Ed's name was her cue to go up to him.

"Ah, there you are. Winner of this match battles Rai Kagerai, the legendary Lightning Alchemist!" He handed Rai the microphone.

"Good luck to the both of you, but ED KICK HIS BUTT!" she yelled into it, Ed grinning as she handed the microphone back to Hughes.

Hughes chuckled. "Well, that was entertaining. Anyway…Rai, you might want to get back to the side. Right…" He looked at the two State Alchemists who were ready to battle. "Alright, let's start this thing! But before we do…" He pulled a cover off of a huge picture frame looking thing to reveal a humungous picture of his daughter, Alesia. "Look at this! Isn't this the cutest thing you ever saw?.!"

Rai sweatdropped. _Wow, he has a really big picture of his daughter. Go figure._

Hughes chuckled when there was a bunch of groans. "Alright, alright, to the main event!" He looked at the two male State Alchemists. "Ready…..BEGIN!" he yelled before retreating.

Rai watched as Mustang snapped his fingers and sent explosions towards Ed, Ed thankfully dodging all of them.

It was when Ed ducked into the audience that Rai facepalmed. _Ed, you idiot! The idea is to keep everyone from getting hurt, not drag them into it!_ She sighed. _How did I end up with a dolt for a best friend?_

She heard the dreaded 'S' word-"short"-and Mustang's voice saying it and her eyebrow twitched in warning. _If he says that again I'm going to skewer him._

Ed, of course, being the temperamental guy he is, started yelling out something along the lines of "WHO'RE YOU CALLING SMALLER THAN A GRAIN OF RICE?" revealing his presence in the crowd, and Mustang sent a snap in the direction of the audience.

Rai sighed. _Great, Mustang, blow up everyone in the military while you're at it, why don't you?_ She huffed. _You sure have an ego bigger than Amestris._

She watched Ed transmute his automail arm into a sword and ripped off the top of Mustang's glove, and sighed again. _Ed, _two_ hands, idiot, _two_ hands! You have to get _both_ gloves for it to work!_ She huffed. _You'd think me traveling with him for three years would have changed that. Apparently not…_

As if to prove her point, once Ed had transmuted a huge cannon aimed right at Mustang, the Flame Alchemist smirked and pulled out the gloved hand in his pocket and moved to snap it at the cannon.

"Mustang, you frikin idiot! I didn't want him killed!" she yelled out before she realized it. Unfortunately for her, the battlegrounds were pretty much silent so the yell rang out clearly across where the two alchemists fought, and they froze and stared at her so that she blinked. "Oh damn, I said that out loud…" she muttered.

Mustang smirked at her. "Well, someone has gotten attached…"

Rai glared at him. "Shut it, Flameass!" she yelled, clearly annoyed.

Ed blinked at her. "Eh?"

Rai looked annoyed. "Never mind, I didn't mean to interrupt, get on with it," she told the two, waving a gloved hand at them in a manner that told them to continue. _I can't believe I yelled out like that! When did I turn into such an idiot?_ She would have facepalmed for being such an idiot if it wouldn't have made it obvious.

Mustang continued smirking as he turned back to Ed, snapping his fingers and blowing up the cannon Ed had transmuted-although Ed was no longer on top of it, much to Rai's relief.

It wasn't long after that that Mustang had Ed on his knees and was about to snap his fingers and finish Ed off, Rai at the ready and about to snap her own fingers to stop the colonel if need be, but Mustang seemed to freeze and his eyes widened.

"Wha…?" Rai asked, lowering her ready-to-snap hand and blinking. "What's he doing?"

Ed, however, took the chance and stood up, transmuting his automail into a sword and putting the point to Mustang's throat, Mustang looking helpless.

It was then the Fuhrer stepped forward. "Stop," he called out in a commanding voice, Ed turning to look at him and dropping his transmuted automail sword from Mustang's neck. "No lives will be taken today…Fullmetal has won this match."

Rai relaxed her hand and let her tensed fingers fall apart, and a relieved-although faint-smile appeared on her lips.

Bradley turned to look at Rai. "Miss Kagerai, will you please come out here? I believe you still have your match with Mr. Elric."

Rai nodded and walked over to stand across from Ed as Mustang got up and walked over to the side to stand next to Hughes. "Well," she told her best friend, "looks like I was right after all, huh? Fullmetal versus Lightning."

"You mean _I_ was right," Ed retorted, although he was smirking. "I told you I'd win, didn't I?"

"Only cause _I_ came up with the idea," she huffed back, a smirk clear on her own face. "But talk is cheap-I say we see once and for all who would win between the two of us."

"You're on!" Ed exclaimed.

Bradley chuckled before turning to walk over to the sidelines, Hughes coming over to them to do his usual announcing.

"Well, this is interesting," Hughes commented. "I thought you two were best friends."

Rai grinned. "We are…we're just having a little friendly competition to see which would be the better fighter out of the two of us." She chuckled. "We'd never kill each other-even Ed's not _that_ stupid."

Ed shot a glare at her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Hughes chuckled. "Alright, alright, calm it you two." He stood up, yelling into his microphone, "Time for Round Two! In the blue corner we have the winner of the previous match, the Fullmetal Alchemist Edward Elric!"

The crowd cheered, Ed grinning and waving his arms.

"And in the red corner we have our new challenger, the legendary Lightning Alchemist Rai Kagerai!" Hughes continued.

Rai was surprised to hear more people cheering for her then for Ed, and she could pick out things like "Show him why you're called a legend, Lightning!" and "Teach that kid a lesson!" as well as "Strike like the Lightning you are!" She grinned and waved her arms as well-the phrases were quite interesting, especially that last one she'd heard.

"Are both battlers ready?" Hughes asked, to which Rai and Ed both nodded, then he added, "Let's get ready to rumblllllllllllle!"

Rai took the chance to snap her fingers and send several lightning bolts in Ed's direction, Ed cart wheeling to avoid them and attempting to get close, but Rai sent more lightning bolts in his direction, the crowd thankfully not getting hit by the bolts. Rai knew that she was more of the ranged type, although she could go hand-to-hand if the situation called for it, but she also knew Ed was more of the hand-to-hand type, which made them one hell of a team but also made them equally matched, one having the other's disadvantages.

As it was, Ed managed to get close and Rai switched to hand-to-hand combat, fending off his blows with her own and him fending off her blows with his own-it appeared they were indeed equally matched as both jumped back from each other.

"I think we make a better team then we do opponents," Rai commented. "As opponents, we're fairly equally matched."

Ed nodded. "Yeah, me too."

Rai sighed. "May as well finish this." She raised a hand ready to snap and was just about to snap at him when he grinned and clapped his hands, slapping them to the ground and transmuting the ground beneath him into a fair-sized cannon, which sent a cannonball hurtling towards her. Rai simply snapped her fingers and sent a bolt at the cannonball, the bolt zapping a hole straight through the thing and made it fall apart before it beelines straight for Ed, Ed looking surprised before he was hit with the bolt, although it just hit his automail, which was what Rai had been aiming for, knocking Ed off of the cannon-which she hadn't anticipated for-and before she knew it, she was on her back under Ed, who had landed on top of her, and her back hurt.

"Oww…" she muttered. "…The hell just happened?"

Ed stirred and opened his eyes, then, hearing Rai muttering underneath him, quickly jumped off of her, a faint pink twinge coloring his cheeks. "Whoa, Rai, you okay?"

Rai nodded. "Yeah, I'm alright… my back hurts though."

Ed held out a hand to help her up, which Rai took and he hoisted her to her feet. "Sorry about that."

"S'okay," Rai replied with a small smile, dusting herself off. "I will say that was a good match though," she added just as Hughes ran up.

"Aaaand the Lightning Alchemist wins by a shocking victory!" Hughes announced.

Ed nodded, agreeing with Rai. "Yeah, it was a good match," he agreed, smiling a little.

The two alchemists stared at each other before Rai was yanked off by Hughes, who whispered something in her ear with a grin, to which Rai went red and tried to punch Hughes with a "Hughes, shut up!"

Hughes, of course, narrowly avoided the punch, still grinning at Rai. "Oho, I was right!"

Rai glared at him. "You're worse than Flameass!" Flameass was her own personal nickname for Mustang after she had stolen his gloves when she was six and set his ass on fire with them. She'd called him Flameass ever since and it stuck-Ed had taken to calling him that occasionally, though it was mostly in front of Mustang. Hughes even used it from time to time, as well as several others.

Hughes grinned and poked her. "You know it's true!"

"Doesn't mean I have to admit it!" Which she just did, in an indiscreet way, but she wasn't about to say that out loud.

Ed just blinked at both of them, looking confused. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Nothing!" both exclaimed quickly, Rai giving one last glare to Hughes, who chuckled, before the light brown-haired alchemist walked over to Ed again.

Ed still looked confused, but shrugged.

"C'mon, let's go get cleaned up," Rai suggested just before Bradley walked up.

"You three have to clean all this up first," the Fuhrer interjected. "You suggested the matches, you clean the mess up. And no alchemy."

The three groaned but set to work…

* * *

Ninjagirl: That's the fifth chapter done. Now for the review replies.

**AyameRose**: Yes, this is based off of the original anime, although I will probably add in a trip to Briggs, just because General Mira Armstrong is that epic. She is one of my favorite characters in Brotherhood as well as in the manga. Other then that, it will be mostly based off of the original anime. ^_^

**kasuki101**: Yup, that's Cornello getting his ass kicked in a nutshell. I never liked that fake priest as it was. Although I liked Ed's line in the second episode. "What's the matter, you poor bastard, can't get a good taste?" XD And yus. Ed and Rai, sitting in a tree! But there won't be any K-I-S-S-I-N-G! Not yet, anyway.

**xXDrowningInChocolateXx**: Thanks! I hope the rest of the story you end up liking too. XD

**PoisnousNinjaSquirrel**: Nope, I have a plan for them kissing later on. Although I might end up putting in an accidental kiss... I'm still musing over that idea. But I do have several ideas in which they're gonna kiss. So it will come when it does. XD

So yeah, that's all of them for now. I will see you guys next chapter. And as a note, the more reviews I get, the faster I update!


	8. Ishbal and Marcoh and Scar, Oh My!

Ninjagirl: Yup, here's the sixth chapter of The Lightning Alchemist Chronicles. :D Which I needed to finish anyway. But yeah. Six chapters already! I'm on a roll with this! I haven't left it hanging for years like my other ones! I'm proud of that. Anyway. Disclaimer. Lust! Miss Whore!

Lust: -walks in- What do you want?

Ninjagirl: For you to quit preening and do the disclaimer.

Lust: -sighs- BlackNinjagirl does not own my luscious self—

Ninjagirl: -rolls eyes-

Lust: —or the Fullmetal shrimp—

Ed: I AM NOT SHORT!

Ninjagirl: -snickers- That never gets old.

Lust: -ignores him- —or anything except Rai and this story, so no suing or she'd end up pathetically whimpering.

Ninjagirl: Yup, cause Rowen belongs to Thestormslayer. My lil bro. -eyetwitches- You can leave now.

Lust: -leaves-

Ninjagirl: I honestly cannot _stand_ her. Anyway. Enjoy the story! Review replies at the end of the chapter like always.

_**Note:**_ Thanks to Thestormslayer for betaing this chapter! Mainly so I don't screw up with portraying his character. xD

* * *

**The Lightning Alchemist Chronicles**

_By BlackNinjagirl_

_Chapter Six: Ishbal and Marcoh and Scar, Oh My!_

Rai, Ed, and Al were headed down a street, Ed stopping and looking around for a minute before consulting a map.

Rai huffed. "Ed, you've looked at that thing _how_ many times now?" she said exasperatedly.

Ed rolled his eyes. "I want to make sure I have the right directions, Rai."

Rai huffed. "You don't have to look at it ten thousand times to know that…"

Ed blinked. "Rai, is something bothering you?"

Rai crossed her arms. "No, it's nothing," she told him in a calmer voice. "Just anxious, I suppose."

Ed blinked. "Anxious? For what?"

Rai shook her head. "I just have a bad feeling….stupid really."

"I don't think it's stupid, Ed always attracts trouble, no matter where we go," Al put in.

Rai nodded. "You have a point there." Thing was, she had a worse feeling than usual… "We should get going, you two. We need to find Marcoh, remember?"

The Elrics nodded. "Right," Ed agreed before the three of them headed down a pathway.

* * *

The three of them ended up in a town and were talking to a man and his seven-year-old son.

"Doctor Marcoh?" the guy asked, blinking, when Rai asked him about the man they were looking for.

"You mean Master Maroh," the boy interjected.

"No, Marcoh," Al corrected.

"Sorry, this town has only one doctor, and Master Maroh is his name," the guy told them.

Rai frowned. Why would Marcoh call himself Maroh? He likely wouldn't be trying to hide his identity unless…Her eyes widened.

They continued asking around, one guy replying, "As you can see, folks don't have much money here. Travel's hard-used to take a half day trip to East City to see a doctor, before he came."

"He's a nice man," an old lady told them. "He'll take in any patient, even people they said were incurable elsewhere."

"When I got my leg caught under the tractor and thought I was done, he fixed me like you couldn't even tell it had happened," another guy later told them, his eight-year-old daughter putting in, "He treated me when I was sick, too. There was a big flash of light."

Rai's eyebrows rose when they walked away. "A big flash of light, huh? Sounds like alchemy."

Ed nodded. "Yeah…"

"But he's a fugitive," Al interjected. "Why would he turn into a miracle-working doctor?"

Ed shrugged. "I dunno… but maybe we should pay him a little visit."

Rai didn't say anything, however—that bad feeling hadn't gone away yet and it had her on her highest guard, looking around at the people and noticing a man that seemed vaguely familiar to her as they headed for the doctor's house.

* * *

They walked for a minute or so before Ed suddenly shoved the both of them into a haystack and jumped in after them.

"Ed!" Rai had just enough time to yell out before Ed clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Shhh," he told the both of them. "Look."

Rai blinked but peeked out, and almost instantly a look of horror came over her face when she saw a muscular man in a military outfit with a single blonde hair over his face and the rest shaved off. (A/N: Guess who? XD) "…Oh dear God, kill me now."

Ed blinked at her. "You know him?"

"Yeah, but I wish I didn't. He's a State Alchemist…"

"I know that, I recognized him from Central. But what's he doing here?"

"Probably following us," Al put in.

Rai nodded. "Mustang likely sent him to follow us." She watched him looked around a few times before he left, Rai breathing out a sigh of relief as he left and Ed jumped out, dusting himself off.

"We'd better head straight to Marcoh's from here," Ed told them. "C'mon."

It wasn't long before they were at the house and Al knocked on the door, it bursting open and Rai's eyes widened when an older man with greying black hair opened the door, pointing a gun at Ed and herself.

"I'm not going back!" he yelled out.

"Whoa whoa…calm down, We're not going to take you anywhere," Rai told him, blinking and raising her hands in surrender. "We just want to talk."

Marcoh didn't lower the gun. "I'm not going back to that place!"

'_That place'? What's he talking about?_ Rai thought to herself as Al stepped forward.

"Shoot me if you want to, but you'll just hurt yourself…" the armored boy said, Rai blinking at him as Al stepped towards the man as Marcoh finally lowered the gun, Rai breathing a sigh of relief as she heard Ed sigh in relief as well, and Marcoh invited them inside.

It didn't take long for Ed to get to the point. "What do you know about the Philosopher's Stone?"

"…Ed…" Rai started to say, but she noticed Ed was focused on Marcoh so she added a mumbled, "Never mind."

She saw Maroh start a little at the mention of the Philosopher's Stone and his eyes glanced over towards a wall on the left side of the room, Ed running over to the wall and smashing a hole in it before pulling out a vial of opaque red liquid, looking it over.

Rai blinked. "….Is that…?"

"Yeah… it's a Philosopher's Stone…" Ed replied, looking it over, Al picking Ed up suddenly and Ed flailing before it fell out of Ed's hands and the vial shattered on the floor, but the three of them watched as the liquid splatted like liquid before it pulled itself together into an oval shape, now resembling that of a gel.

"…It's not a liquid or a solid," Rai noted, her mind flashing back to the fake stone that had been in Cornello's ring, remembering how it had shattered, the pieces having oddly evaporated into thin air. "It's more like…gel or something."

Al dropped Ed and the smaller alchemist went over to pick up the Stone, looking it over curiously. "It makes sense…" Ed murmured. "The Stone wouldn't follow rules of matter either."

There was the sound of a door opening and a soldier ran in, just before a man Rai recognized as Brigadier General Basque Grahn walked in.

Rai and the other two alchemists stood up. "Grahn. What the hell are you doing here?"

"I'm here to get back what's mine," Grahn retorted.

"Like hell you are!"

Grahn snorted. "The Sage's Stone. The Celestial Stone. The Great Elixir. The Red Danger. The Next Element. Did you really think a substance of so many names would be limited to the form of a stone?"

"…Brigadier Grahn," Ed said finally.

"Brigadier?" Marcoh said with mild surprise. "Well, you've worked your way up."

"You're damn right, Crystal Alchemist. And now you'll turn the Philosopher's Stone and all of its research over to me," Grahn said as he looked at Marcoh.

Rai blinked as Ed exclaimed, "The Philosopher's Stone? That thing?"

Grahn turned back to Ed. "An experimental leap at best, a roulette at worst. You never know when it will reach its peak and backfire. An unstable, defective product, different from the true stone. But during the Rebellion it did augment our abilities and make us tremendously powerful."

"You mean, the military hasn't just _looked_ for the stone? In the past, it's worked to _develop_ it?" Al asked curiously.

Rai kept silent, curious herself as to this new discovery. Something in her mind clicked itself into place. _So that was where Mustang used to go and came back all sticky… he was covered in blood from the Rebellion._ She kept watching the others.

Ed seemed to perk up. "Never mind that it isn't perfect, it was made by human hands and it worked! That means the concept is possible. The Philosopher's Stone isn't a myth! Where are the design specs?"

Rai's lips thinned slightly. _Grahn just ordered to get all the research and everything on the stone. Likely, you're not going to get it, Ed…_

Grahn turned to Ed, his eyes narrowing slightly. "And what do you plan on doing with it when you see it? Increase your meddling, Fullmetal?"

Rai narrowed her own eyes. "We're not meddling, _Brigadier_. We're trying to get back what we lost. Not like you could understand that anyway, you're just trying to get back your precious _stone_."

"This research is top secret and falls under my jurisdiction. I can't permit you access to it," Grahn added, ignoring Rai. He then turned to the soldiers with him. "Let's go."

"No, let go of me!" Marcoh exclaimed as the soldiers grabbed him and dragged him out, Marcoh struggling against them and protesting that he didn't want to go back. "My hands are already stained!"

The three of them walked outside, and Rai blinked when he heard Marcoh say the last words. _Already stained…?_ She thought of Mustang coming home all covered in blood and she blinked. _I wonder…_

"This is just like before," Ed murmured under his breath, Rai looking at him for a second then back at Marcoh.

It didn't take long for her to make up her mind. "Get back here!" she yelled, jumping over the stair banister and landing on her feet in a crouch before she stood up and took off after the car.

"What the hell? RAI! Wait up!" Ed yelled after her and the Elric brothers followed her.

Rai kept running after the car, managing to grab onto the back and hop onto the trunk of the car as it drove off, balancing on the back, but she was caught off-guard when it suddenly swerved to a halt and Rai ended up falling off. "Ow… Maybe I shouldn't have done that…"

She got to her feet just as Ed and Al caught up with her and the three of them turned to see what had caused them to stop, seeing a man that had an X-shaped scar across his forehead and white-grey hair and wore glasses as well as a tan shirt with a cross on the back and black pants with boots.

"…Who the hell are you?" Rai asked, just before the man raised his right arm and placed it on the front of the car, and the next thing Rai knew, there _was_ no car. She sweatdropped. _Well, I'm glad I got off when I did…_

"Finally, the Iron Blood Alchemist, Bas Grahn," the scarred man said.

_What the hell! Is he some kind of alchemist stalker or something?_ Rai thought.

"Bad timing," Grahn told the scarred man. "And just when I got my hands on this." He pulled out the Philosopher's Stone, but before he could use it, the scarred man ran forward and placed his hand on Grahn's face, and Rai saw blood spurt out of any open spot in Grahn's head as well as the back of his head, like something had imploded from inside of his head.

"…What the hell…?" Rai exclaimed, her eyes widening. She tried to move, but it was like her body was frozen in ice. She couldn't even move her automail arm. _It's like back then… I couldn't move back then either…_

The scarred man then looked at Marcoh. "Crystal Alchemist, Doctor Marcoh. What you did… I'll have to take special care…" He walked over to Marcoh, raising his arm. "…to wash you out of this world for your transgressions."

Marcoh blinked. "I see… Yes, go ahead. How can I protest?"

_Damn it, _move_!_ she told herself, trying to move again. _Twitch, snap, anything!_ Her arm then decided to jerk and she narrowly avoided punching herself, and after that she found she could move. She took the chance to grab Ed's arm and yank it to pull him free from his frozen state.

"Thanks, I needed that," Ed told her, Rai just nodding as she turned back to look at Marcoh and 'Scarred Man', as Rai dubbed him in her mind.

"In the name of the Great Almighty one, thou shalt perish," Scarred Man added, moving his hand towards Marcoh's head, just before Ed ran over and pulled Marcoh out of the way and the four of them ran like hell away from Scarred Man.

"It's okay, leave me behind," Marcoh told them.

"We're saving your ass and that's all you can say?" Rai retorted. "Some thanks that is."

"You really gotta work on that attitude," Ed agreed.

"Fullmetal Alchemist Edward Elric and Lightning Alchemist Rai Kagerai. The two of you won't escape either!" Rai heard Scarred Man call after them.

"What the hell _is_ he, a damned _stalker_?.!" Rai grumbled under her breath as they ran.

She heard Ed laugh a little at that remark, but said nothing as they kept running.

* * *

They turned a corner and not far into it, after they passed a doorway, Rai heard Al say, "Brother! Rai! This way!" and they headed into it, Al pressing a hand to a readied transmutation circle to transmute a wall over the doorway so as to hide them.

Rai let out a sigh, but about ten seconds later there were red sparks and Rai let out a curse before jumping back, just before the wall exploded.

"Great, so now he's a _psychic_ stalker," Rai muttered before the four of them turned and ran the other way.

It wasn't long at all before Rai caught the sounds of alchemical lightning and the pathway in front of them had rocks fall down in front of them, cutting their escape route.

"…Definitely a psychic stalker," Rai muttered, turning around to face their attacker. "Guess we'll have to do things the hard way."

Ed glared at Scarred Man. "Who in the hell are you? And what the hell are you coming after us for?.!"

"You're the creators of this society. There must also be destroyers!" Scarred Man retorted.

"You can't understand! Please, Ed, leave me alone. Run!" Marcoh pleaded.

"Get a grip on yourself," Rai retorted. "You're just going to give up and die? Stupid thing to do." She clapped her hands and transmuted a sword from a nearby rock, which sparked with electricity as she spun it. "I don't care what you say, we're not just going to take this laying down."

Ed smiled a little at that and transmuted a knife of his own, his own way of saying wordlessly, 'I'm with her,' just as Al got into a fighting stance of his own.

Scarred Man looked at both Rai and Ed. "…You both have a kind look in your eyes… my older brother's were exactly the same. Eyes that were strong, and that peered into the endless distance, as if seeing something I could not." He looked at Ed. "It was three years ago, yes. I was glad to hear you'd given up being a State Alchemist so I could take you off my list, but now…"

Rai blinked. _So that watch I saw on Mustang's desk was _Ed's_? Why did he quit in the first place? …I'll ask him about it later._

"Yeah, now… Too bad, isn't it," Ed retorted before he ran towards Scarred Man and made to attack him, Scarred Man moving out of the way and moving to attack Ed when Rai let loose a bolt towards Scar, but not before Al jumped in the way of Scar's attack on Ed so that Al ended up taking the hit on his arm instead, the bolt bouncing off of Al's armor and nearly hitting Marcoh.

_I can't make a clear shot with Al in the way,_ she grumbled to herself. _Guess I'll have to go hand-to-hand…_ She watched them carefully, looking for her chance to jump in.

"Al!" Ed exclaimed, worried about his younger brother.

"Don't mistake your fortune, that alchemy was designed for human flesh, that's why you escaped with only a dent," Scarred Man told Al. "This time, stay out of this! My only enemies are State Alchemists and those who stand between."

Rai narrowed her eyes before there was a snap and a lightning bolt careened towards Scarred Man, the strange alchemist leaping backwards to avoid it as Rai walked over to stand next to Al and Ed. "Then you'll have to deal with me too, if you want to try and kill my best friend." She stabbed her sword in the ground and raised her hand in a stance similar to that of Mustang.

Ed blinked at her, then turned back to the man with the X-shaped scar. "Why? Why are you after us?"

"Alchemists are those who take things away from their natural form and turn them into something grotesque," Scarred Man retorted.

Rai frowned. "You destroying things is the same thing, you know."

Scarred Man glared at her. "In hubris, they profane God, creator of all, and claim they have a better design."

"Bullshit," Rai retorted. "If that were the case then there wouldn't be alchemists in the first place."

Scarred Man just stared at her. "So alchemists are heretics too, I see."

Rai twitched. "That's not what I said! Quit twisting my words!"

Scarred Man just looked back at Ed. "I come as a right hand, an agent of God, to carry out his judgment."

Al stepped forward. "I'm an alchemist too. I may not have a state certification, but…"

"Why do you seek death?" Scarred Man asked Al, cutting him off midsentence.

"I don't," came Al's response. "But you mentioned that you had an older brother, didn't you? Then you can understand why I can't just sit by and watch my older brother get killed." There was a pause as the scarred man just watched him, and Al added, "Even you should-!"

"I do," Scarred Man cut across him. "I understand exactly how it feels to have your brother murdered before your eyes, and you can't do a thing. In fact, maybe… I'll show ED!"

Rai stood in front of Al defensively, and when Ed ran towards Scar, Rai blinked as Scar grabbed his right arm. "Ed!" she yelled as the red lightning went around Ed's arm and Ed yelled before falling backwards… and Rai noticed his arm was still intact. Scarred Man looked between Ed and his hand, staying on Ed as he got back up.

"…Automail," he said after a minute. "So your right hand begets destruction as well."

"Don't you start with that. We're nothing alike, pal!" Ed retorted before clapping his hands and transmuting his automail arm into a sword before he ran at Scarred Man to attack him, but both of them stopped when there was a loud explosion and three arrows shot past towards their attacker, Rai blinking at them.

"Oh God. I _really_ didn't want to deal with him right now," she grumbled.

The same man Ed, Al, and Rai had seen earlier stepped out of the smoke and walked over towards them.

"…The State Alchemist?" Ed said with a blink. "What's he doing here?"

"Following us! Obviously!" Rai retorted.

Al went defensive. "You've come for Doctor Marcoh?"

The State Alchemist just walked past Al and Marcoh, and Ed went defensive, Rai mentally praying he doesn't go all sparkly on them as he put a hand on both Ed's and Rai's shoulders, Ed looking surprised.

"I'm sorry I'm late. The Lieutenant Colonel ordered me to tail you as protection."

_So Hughes ordered it. I see. Least now I know he won't go all sparkles, he's in serious mode at the moment._ Rai was a bit relieved at that as she moved over to stand behind Ed.

The State Alchemist turned to the scarred man. "I heard you on my way in here. You say you're an agent of God? Then why don't you try passing judgment on me. That's Alex Louis Armstrong, the Strong Arm Alchemist!"

Rai nudged Ed. "I say we get the hell out of here before he goes all sparkly."

Ed nodded and they went over to meet up with Al and Marcoh.

"Well…. What a righteous day this is turning out to be, that you would save me the trouble of finding you," Rai heard Scarred Man say.

"You're facing off against a technique that's been passed down the Armstrong line for generations! That's hardly a blessing!" She heard Armstrong grunt as the four of them left.

"Oh thank God. I didn't have to deal with the sparkles," Rai breathed out as they ran for the exit. "That would have been a _nightmare_."

They got through the exit and Marcoh fell to all fours, panting, Rai leaning on a nearby tree trying to catch her breath and Ed with his hands on his knees.

Rai saw Ed stand up and hold out the Philosopher's Stone to Marcoh. "Here, you dropped this."

Marcoh took it and blinked at Ed. "But isn't this what you're after? Didn't you think about taking this and leaving?"

"Of course," Ed told him. "The younger me would have walked away with it without a second thought. But I can't forget the face of all the people we saw today, and you used that in your treatments, right? That stone belongs to them, and so do you."

Marcoh just stared at him in shock, not saying a word.

"Well? You ready?" he asked, looking at Rai, the Lightning Alchemist nodding , having caught her breath rather quickly. "We've gotta find a place the military or that killer won't find us."

Marcoh blinked. "You think we can escape?"

Rai knew what was coming next, and she said it at the same time Ed did. "You've got legs, don't ya? Let's put them to work."

Ed looked at Rai and laughed lightly, Rai grinning back. "You know me too well, Rai."

"Damn right I do. I'm your best friend, remember?"

Ed grinned. "Riiight, how could I forget?"

Rai rolled her eyes and flicked his ear before the three of them headed out.

* * *

Sometime later found the four of them—Ed, Al, Rai, and Marcoh—all in the middle of an alleyway hiding from the military, and they encountered a shop and stopped there.

"This is a bigger hassle then I first thought," Rai muttered.

Ed looked around, then heard the dog next to them barking and Ed turned his back while Rai sat in a nearby chair as if posing for a picture, Al and Marcoh hiding behind a couple of pots as the cars passed by, and Rai relaxed, sighing, as Ed asked for a back door and the four of them headed through the place.

After a good bit of walking, Rai grumbled, "Are we there yet?"

"No, Rai," Ed retorted. "If we were there yet we'd be resting."

"True enough," Rai retorted. "I just didn't think it was this far to the train station."

"You're telling me," Ed countered. "I didn't think it was this far to walk either, but we're also taking the long way trying to avoid all these military trucks."

"I know, I know." She sighed. "Let's just keep moving…"

There was more walking and they ended up in a smaller alleyway where some kids were playing, Marcoh watching them play, and Ed started to walk off again when Rai stopped him.

"Dr. Marcoh?" she asked, curiously.

Marcoh continued watching the kids when he finally said, "I can't do this…"

Rai raised an eyebrow.

"I can't keep running like this. I've run long enough, I don't care if that man kills me…" Marcoh continued. "How can I, when it's something I deserve…"

"What do you mean?" Rai asked him.

"I'm missing the connection," Ed put in. "Why do you deserve death just because he's from Ishbal?"

"The rebellion, right? Ed told me Mustang was sad about that too," Al put in. "But why? They started the war for independence, right? They lost lives, but so did the military."

"If all of us wore revenge every time we lost a war, there'd be no end to it. A cycle without a point," Ed added.

Rai just watched Marcoh, noticing he'd shadowed his eyes. "…Doc?"

"You're not listening," Marcoh said finally. "That was no war…"

_Then, when Mustang came back all bloody…_ Rai's hazel eyes widened.

"…It was a massacre," Marcoh continued. "The people of Ishbal are an ethnic people in the East. They worshipped Ishbala as the one and only creator. They came from a different history so we see the world from a different lens. Our world was sulfurs and nitrogen, science and math. We believe everything can be explained with numbers and Equivalent Exchange as our sacred cannon. But to them alchemy is a perversion of the world God has given us, corrupting man by putting us in Ishbala's place. As a result, resistance movements would pop up from time to time.

"One day during a house inspection, a soldier accidentally shot and killed an Ishbalan child. The incident became a rally. Massive riots and uprisings broke out all over the region. It was too much, too fast. The military couldn't control their soldiers in the process, and it became fuel for the fire. It escalated into a full-scale rebellion that lasted seven years, until the Fuhrer had had enough. He sent in the problem solvers, the State Alchemists…"

Rai looked down, crossing her arms. _From all the blood I remember seeing on Mustang when he came back several times, it had to have been one…_ "…Mustang was in it too, wasn't he?"

Ed blinked as Marcoh turned around and looked at her. "…He was one of the State Alchemists involved, yes," Marcoh told her.

"…I thought so…I vaguely remember him coming home quite a few times covered in blood…he always said it was jelly or something else…"

Ed made a startled noise. "He babysat you?"

Rai looked at Ed. "…No… he's my legal guardian. Has been since I was about two or so…"

"You never told me that! It explains a lot though."

"…I didn't? I thought I did." She looked at Marcoh. "Anything else we should know about?"

Marcoh, however, seemed to have a distant look on his face as he continued. "…Grahn insisted that they use the Philosopher's Stones in order to end the war quickly…"

Ed blinked. "So what happened? How did the Ishbalans react to your weaponry?"

"They didn't."

"What…?" Al asked, sounding shocked.

"Every gathering place for resistance, the State Alchemists were sent to. They were all wiped out in a single night."

Rai was shocked. "Damn… one night…? That's just…"

Marcoh nodded. "You see why I call it a massacre…"

Ed and Al were too shocked to say anything, then a kid suddenly yelled out in pain and grabbed his ankle, and Marcoh ran over, pulling out the stone and hovering it near the kid's ankle while he continued, "There were doctors that would go and heal the wounded. It didn't matter what side you were from, if you needed help, they'd give it to you." Marcoh looked at the kid once the stone's glow had faded. "How's that feel?"

The kid moved it around and grinned before he got back up and went back to playing, Marcoh turning back to the three alchemists. "However, they were casualties too."

"…Wait. They killed doctors too? Why? That's stupid," Rai interjected.

Marcoh just continued his story, explaining that he had seen the doctors killed. "…And so I left, taking the Philosopher's Stones and the research explaining how to create them. But I acted much too late…the people of Ishbal had largely been exterminated. I heard that our military let only a handful survive."

Rai kept quiet, listening to their conversation, her mind going back to Mustang coming home covered in blood and insisting it was not blood but jelly, or something different.

"That's grabbed granite, but there's no reason for him to come after you," Ed pointed out.

"He wants revenge… what could be more legitimate?" Marcoh replied.

"He's dragging people into it that had nothing to do with it. How can you talk about legitimacy? He's a fraud, he's on a tirade of personal vengeance and he hides behind this excuse of God's will so he can claim it's noble."

"Still," Al put in. "If someone took you away from me, I think I would do the same thing. Isn't that Equivalent Exchange?"

"No!" Ed retorted as Rai shook her head. "That's not how the principle works, haven't you learned that yet?"

_You don't see _me_ going on a rampage, do you? I mean, damn, my brother was killed…_ she thought to herself, but didn't say out loud.

"Destroying lives doesn't bring lives back," Ed added. "We all just need to live and be content while we can."

There was a short pause before Ed noticed the dent still there and walked over to Al before he clapped his hands and fixed it, Rai watching him as he did so.

Ed then looked up and turned to Marcoh, Rai recognizing the look on his face as one he usually got when he had an idea. "Doctor Marcoh, why don't you let us hide you in our hometown for a while? It's just three days on a train from here, right?"

"It might be hard on us going back there though," Al pointed out.

_That's not a bad idea… from what he's told me, it's a little village in the mountains, right?_ "Hey, I'm up for it," Rai interjected. " Might be nice to see where you guys used to live. That and I don't really see my automail engineer very often, so…"

"Winry would be glad to fix your automail," Al put in.

"If you don't mind getting conked on the head by a wrench when you break it," Ed added.

Rai laughed. "Sounds painful…"

"It is…" He turned to Marcoh. "We have some friends up there, the Rockbells, they make automail.

"Rockbell? No, I can't do that," Marcoh's voice told him, and Rai turned around to see that Marcoh had a shocked yet sad look on his face. "I can't go there… I'm sorry."

"…The hell is wrong with him?" Rai asked out loud as Al called for the doctor to wait and the three of them ran after him.

* * *

They caught up a few minutes later, Ed calling out to the older man as Rai leaned on the wall slightly, "Doctor Marcoh! It's your call, we don't have to go anywhere you don't trust. We're not trying to steal your research."

"No, Ed," Marcoh retorted, panting, "there are other reasons I can't go there with you three."

"…Like what?" Rai asked, blinking. "It is because of—?"

She was cut off midsentence when they heard gunshots and none other than the scarred man, whom they had dubbed Scar previously, leapt down from above and landed right smack between them.

Rai got off the wall and readied for action. "Great, you again!"

Scar didn't say a word before he spun to attack Marcoh, Rai moving to stop him, but Al got there first, grabbing Scar's arm to stop him, and Scar spun to face Al.

"This time I have an attack ready for you!" he yelled out before his arm his Al's flank, and Rai's eyes widened as most of the side of Al's armor just shattered.

"Al!" Ed yelled before he ran over and started attacking Scar.

_Damn it, not again… my body won't move!_ Rai was paralyzed with fear. Again. _Damn it!_

Scar soon caught Ed's metal fist in his right hand. "By clasping your hands you make an array with your body and circulate the alchemic reaction within. I know your secret, without this sinful arm you can't transmute quickly. That is your weakness."

Ed's and Rai's eyes widened as red lightning sparked and Ed's automail arm suddenly shattered, sending Ed flying backwards and landing him on his side.

"ED!" Rai yelled out, finally able to move, Al yelling out, "BROTHER!"

Rai started to run over to Ed as the blonde sat up, but stopped when she saw Scar walk over towards him. _It's just like back then… I couldn't do a damn thing!_

"I will give you a moment to pray," Scar told Ed.

"Thanks for the gesture, but I don't believe. Stopped a long time ago," came Ed's response.

Scar continued staring at him, silent.

"Back at the town, you told me you lost your older brother…died in Ishbal, right?"

"Correct, Fullmetal," Scar replied. "He was killed by a State Alchemist."

"Well, I'm the oldest brother, so take my life and go. That's equivalent exchange, don't you think?"

"Brother, no!" Al exclaimed. "A life doesn't equal a life! You said it yourself!"

"You stay out of this, Al, I'm doing what's fair!" Ed yelled back at him. "I'm a State Alchemist, I should be enough…"

"Very well," Scar told Ed. "I will spare your younger brother."

"You're not killing him if I can help it!" Rai yelled suddenly before she ran over, jumping over Ed's head, and kicked Scar in the chest with her automail leg, Scar skidding back but grabbing Rai's leg and attempting to destroy it but failing, instead tearing apart the pants that covered her automail, though Rai was pretty much dangling from one foot.

"Rai, what the hell are you doing?.!" Ed asked as Rai kicked Scar's chin with her free leg, forcing Scar to drop her and shifting it into a backflip so that she landed in front of Ed, before she spun around and punched him, _hard_, across his cheek.

"You goddamned idiot!" she yelled at him. "Sacrificing yourself to save Al? Aren't you supposed to be trying to get his body back? I can't do that, that's your job! If you're going to let yourself get killed and leave Al the way he is, then you're pretty much going back on your promise to him!"

Ed's eyes widened.

"I swear, Ed, you're a damned idiot sometimes," Rai snorted before she spun to kick Scar again with her automail leg, though Scar caught her metal ankle and red lightning sparked before it, too, shattered, Rai falling backwards. "Oh, goddamnit!" she yelled when it shattered. "This is just not my day!"

Scar moved to put his hand on her head instead, Rai's eyes widening as she shook. "You will pass judgment for your crimes, Lightning Alchemist."

"RAI!" Ed and Al yelled, and Rai could have sworn she caught a note of desperation in Ed's voice just before there was a gunshot and Rai caught blood spurting from Scar's hand as Scar winced and covered the wound, pulling his hand away from Rai's head to do so.

"…The hell…?" Rai asked, blinking before she looked towards the direction the gunshot had come from, and her eyes widened when she saw the same kid she'd caught a glance of earlier, the one that had looked like her.

His appearance was somewhat similar to Rai, outside of the obvious-she was female, and he wasn't. His hair was a little shorter than Rai's and had been cut to appear more natural as opposed to it appearing like a proto-typical appearance of a military cut. He was wearing a basic and semi-tattered jacket that seemed to have been through much that caused its current state. He looked at her smiling a bit, as he lowered the gun and holstered. Surprised he had successfully hit Scar, he looked at her with his own eyes, which had a different color than Rai's hazel- they were a cold ice blue, reminiscent of their father, though neither knew it.

"What happened to you?" he asked as he placed his left hand in the pocket of his jeans, and walked over to them, smiling, his right hand hanging normally like it would if it wasn't resting. His shirt in converse was a basic T-shirt, and his shoes were semi-worn basic hiking boots.

Rai just blinked at him, pieces of automail scattered everywhere as he walked up, and Rai with a stump of a leg remaining but not bleeding at all, Ed with no arm and not bleeding either, and Al with a gaping hole in his side and no guts spilling out. It would look weird to anyone…

"….Long story," was all she said. "Right now, though, could you get him away from….Huh?"

Scar, who had tried to run away from them, had been stopped at the end of the alleyway, and Rai caught a glimpse of Mustang and Hawkeye past him and felt relieved, but there was a huge explosion soon after and all Rai could see was dust for a minute before she noticed there was a gaping hole in the ground and Scar had long vanished.

"Well… that answers that question." She looked what remained of her leg over. "Least it was just the automail and not the socket…"

The mysterious boy blinked. "Automail?"

"Yeah… fake metal limbs." She pointed around them. "…Obviously, now, it's in pieces."

Ed got up and went over to Al, Rai watching them from her spot, sitting a few feet away from Al. "You okay, Rai?"

"Other than missing my leg, which got blasted off by Scar, I'm fine," Rai replied.

Ed looked at Al. "Al, say something. Are you okay?"

Al punched him in response. "You _idiot_!"

"What's that for?" Ed yelled at him.

"Why didn't you run away when I told you to?" Al snapped back.

"Cause, steel for brains, then he would have killed you!"

"So you decided to die instead? That's really smart!"

"Don't call your older brother an idiot, idiot!"

Al grabbed Ed's jacket. "Look, that's not how we do things. Live, and be content while we can. Live so we can research in alchemy and get our bodies back. _That_ is how we do things. Brother, dying, and dying by yourself, and leaving me alone? That's something I won't let you do."

Rai had smiled at the two, but the smile turned to a surprised look when Al's arm literally fell off, the two brothers watching it as well.

"Oh, this is perfect! Now my arm's fallen off too! Today is a terrible day!" Al yelled out.

Rai laughed despite herself, and she saw Ed smile at Al's little 'fit'.

"We're really falling apart at the seams, aren't we?" Ed said after a minute. "Everyone who sees us must think we're a joke."

"I don't," Rai interjected, making both of them look at her, and she pointed to her stump of a leg. "I'm falling apart too." She grinned a little at them, and Ed and Al laughed.

"True enough," Ed told her.

"But we're alive, right?" Al asked them both.

Rai nodded as Ed said, "Yeah… we are that, Al."

It was at that point Mustang walked over before crouching near the three of them. "Lightning, Fullmetal, are you okay?"

Rai nodded. "Yeah… he just destroyed mine and Ed's automail, and half of Al. I think we're okay."

Mustang chuckled. "Just be glad it wasn't your real limbs."

"I think we've lost enough pieces as it is, I don't think we need to lose any more," Rai retorted.

Mustang laughed. "True enough, Rai."

It was then Hawkeye ran over, and Mustang stood up before Hawkeye whispered something in his ear, to which His eyebrows rose and he walked over to where Armstrong was.

"…I don't think I'm gonna be able to get a hold of my mechanic…" Rai muttered after Mustang left.

"You could always see ours," Ed pointed out. "I told you Winry wouldn't mind fixing your automail too."

"I hope you're right…"

"When am I ever wrong?"

"Don't even get me started." She blinked and looked around. "Hey… where'd that guy who shot Scarfreak go?"

Ed blinked and looked around as well. "I dunno…"

"Maybe he just came over to see what the commotion was," Al suggested.

"I guess…" What unnerved Rai was how much like herself the boy had looked. It reminded her of Kino, yet not…

Marcoh walked up, and Ed blinked before saying, "Marcoh, don't!"

"I told you, kid, I can't go with you. Your hometown is never a place where I can ever be welcome," Marcoh replied.

Rai blinked as Ed asked, "Why not?"

"The two doctors that we executed in Ishbal…their names were Rockbell."

Ed looked shocked, Rai looking surprised, and she saw Ed turn to the side, towards Al, before Marcoh walked past, though Rai caught a glimpse of something white falling next to Ed and blinked.

"Let's go, sir," came a voice Rai could barely hear that sounded gentle, one Rai found she liked.

"Brother," Al said suddenly, "I think I just heard Mom's voice."

_That was their mom's voice…? Heh… makes me wish I'd known my own mother…_ Rai sighed slightly.

"Oh, c'mon, Al, you just had a brush with death," Ed retorted. "Don't go unstable on me now…"

Mustang walked over again. "Let's get you three back to Central. We'll decide from there."

* * *

Ninjagirl: Well, there's chapter 6 done! Now for review replies.

**Thieving Alchemist**: Mary Sueish? I tried like hell for Rai to NOT to be Mary Sueish. Not sure how she turned out that way. :/ But thanks. XD

**I'mAterriblewriter**: Thanks for reminding me, I put one in in the first chapter, if you wanted to know what she looked like. Also, it is Japanese… her name, Rai Kagerai, in Japanese literally means "Lightning Shadowlightning". I wanted her to have an unusual name, as well as one that fit her. And 'Rai' is definitely an unusual name for a girl. XD Also. Thanks for the review!

**AyameRose**: xD! I'm glad you think that way. You have no idea of the plans I have in store for Rai. I can assure you, though, it'll be very much unexpected. Also… You've seen all of Brotherhood? Don't spoil the ending for me. I wanna see it for myself. . XD Thanks for the review!

**anonymous**: Here's your update! xD Have fun. And, thanks for the review!

**animaniac-123**: OMG! Animaniacs! I loved that show! And yeah, I do too. XD And I already put Lust in there. Think you can figure out where? XD The others will show up soon. Also. Thanks for the review!

**Nobody**: Nobody, huh? Like Roxas? XD JK. Not sure if you get the joke anyway. . But thanks!

**MCRDanime**: Thanks! Here's a cookie. -hands cookie-

**kasuki101**: xDDD Thanks. I liked the nickname myself, and the story behind it is as funny as the nickname. XD I was already gonna put in a flashback on it. And, thanks for the review!

**Thestormslayer**: :D! –glomps- Yays! My lil bro! :O Anti-climactic, huh? It was the same way in the anime… so don't blame me. . And you really think so? I could imagine them faceplanting at that point… maybe I should add that in there. XD And thanks!

**Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967**: Thanks!

OMG. That's a lot of reviews. More than even what I got from my Yu-Gi-Oh!/Harry Potter story. -dances- I'm getting popular!

Well. Review peoples! Remember, the more reviews I get, the more I make a point to update faster!


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